


Breaking the Silver Chain

by Mickey_D



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alpha Harry, Alpha Liam, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Beta Niall, Chains, Dungeon, F/M, Human Trafficking, Kidnapping, M/M, Omega Louis, Omega Zayn, Politics, Reunions, arresting, silver - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-13
Updated: 2015-02-01
Packaged: 2018-01-19 03:53:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 89,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1454425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mickey_D/pseuds/Mickey_D
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Liam is an alpha who is just coming home from a trip abroad, and he isn't returning alone. While traveling, Liam met the most beautiful person he'd ever seen: an omega named Zayn. The two of them had a whirlwind romance that left them happily mated and inseparable. Zayn, a boy with rather exotic looks for Liam's home, draws a lot of attention, which isn't a bad thing, except that he catches the eye of Leonardo DiCaprio. DiCaprio is an alpha with rumors constantly swirling about him, rumors about kidnapping, shady businesses, and omega-trafficking. It's known that he has a few judges and law enforcers safely tucked in his back pocket, a fact that keep the rumor mill turning since no one can ever get a straight answer. </p><p>Harry Styles is a law enforcer with a rather loud omega named Louis. He's determined to bring the truth about DiCaprio into the light after a distressing call from a hysterical Liam makes him see red.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 200 Pieces

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome all!
> 
> If you missed the announcement or if you're new to this story, this is my Nano project for 2014. The goal here is 50,000 words (or more) by the end of November. I'm excited to be editing Breaking the Silver Chain. You comments and feedback are very much appreciated. Mid-month I might start begging for support, but I'll try to keep that on the minimum. (My lovely beta might get the brunt of that. :) ) 
> 
> Just a FYI: This story can and will probably get disturbing. I'm tackling a major issue, and I'd just like to warn you all. I hope that doesn't scare you away :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome Old-Comers and New-Comers! I am pleased to post my first chapter of Breaking the Silver Chain. This is my Nano project as some of you may know. The goal is to have 50,000 words or more by the end of November. I'd greatly appreciate your support, comments, questions, concerns. You can expect updates once or twice a week...hopefully. Don't hold me to that. We all know life can get in the way sometimes :) . 
> 
> Just an FYI, things get a little hairy. I'm dealing with major issues that can and probably will get disturbing. I hope this doesn't scare you away. 
> 
> Again, welcome, and I hope you enjoy!

Brad Pitt donned his thick wool coat for the first time this winter. It’d been unseasonably warm up until today, when the temperature decided to plummet. The weather had been peculiar all year long. No one had a decent explanation for it. Some said it was the way the Earth was rotating around the sun. Others said it was a sign, an omen of some sort warning of something dangerous to come. Brad Pitt just thought the weather was being peculiar for no particular reason. He didn’t have time for superstitions and theories. He had more important matters to attend to. “Has the car been brought around?” Brad asked the servant next to him who was holding out his black leather gloves. Brad stroked the material fondly. The gloves were a gift from his mentor. He had always admired the ones his mentor had worn, and upon completing his training, his mentor had given him the envied pair of gloves. _As a reminder of me. A way to remember all that you hope to do in this job_ , his mentor had said when he’d handed Brad the gift box.

“The car has been brought around, Alpha,” the servant told his master quietly.

Brad Pitt grunted in response, checking himself one last time in the small mirror hanging just next to the door before stepping outside. The sun beamed down from a bright blue sky, but it offered little warmth. His driver stood with the car door open waiting for Brad to come out. He closed the door once Brad was settled and then went around to the driver’s seat. “Are there any stops you need to make before you go to Alpha DiCaprio’s, Alpha?” the driver asked.

“No. Go straight to DiCaprio’s,” Brad said.

“Yes, Alpha.”

The car pulled away from the front of Brad Pitt’s townhouse. The ride was smooth over the paved road, but became a bit more bouncy once it rolled farther from town. It became a bit shaky as it went from the paved road to the old cobblestone, and it became intermittently bouncy once it went from the cobblestones to the original dirt road. Brad kept his eyes out the window, losing himself in thoughts about the weather, his office, his secretary, and then to DiCaprio and what the man could give him. A small smile stretched across Brad Pitt’s lips. Today would be a good day.

The worn-out dirt road gave way to gravel that seemed to shimmer in the early afternoon sun. The car’s tires crunched over the stones before slowing to halt at the bottom of a white staircase. Brad’s driver exited the car to open his master’s door. Brad stepped onto the stones and looked up. The manor house rose grandly from the stones beneath Brad’s feet. The white stairs rose to a porch with massive white columns evenly placed along the front. The windows flashed in the sun, almost blinding Brad who raised a hand to his eyes to shield himself from the window’s glare. The red bricks of the house seemed to glow against the cape of green flanking it on either side. Smoke curled from each of the three chimneys, the only movement in the otherwise still scene before him. Brad’s eyes snapped to the double doors at the top of the stairs as they swung inwards. A man in a dark suit stepped out with a smile spread across his lips that revealed the white teeth hidden beneath. Brad felt his own smile grow as he quickly ascended the stairs. “Brad, it’s so good to see you!” the man greeted in a voice that seemed inappropriately loud for the quiet surroundings. “I never thought you’d ever come around.” The man pulled Brad into a friendly hug instead of the usual handshake Brad was used to being greeted with.

“It’s good to see you as well,” Brad returned, stepping out of the hug. “I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time.”

“I know you have. I apologize that you did not get an invitation sooner.”

Brad waved the apology off. “There’s no need for that. The point is that you sent me one.”

“And you accepted it,” the man said slinging his arm around Brad’s shoulders as he lead him towards the back of the manor. “There are several others here. You’ll recognize most of them. If you’d like me to make introductions to the ones you don’t know, I’ll be more than happy to.”

“Again, no need. I’d prefer to be as inconspicuous as possible.”

The man nodded, pulling his arm from Brad’s shoulders. “I understand.” He pulled a silver pocket watch from his pocket. “Let’s go. It’s almost time to start.”

They’d reached the end of a long hallway. Brad saw nothing that was out of the ordinary. It was just a dead end with a mirror that made it seem like the hallway kept going and a table with an empty vase centered on it pushed against the wall. The man smirked at Brad’s obvious confusion as he stepped up to the table. With one hand he twisted the vase once in a clockwise direction. Faintly, Brad could hear a latch snapping open. The man used both hands to push on the edge of the table forcing the wall to slowly open. The secret door revealed a well-lit stone passage that Brad couldn’t see the end of, but could feel a bit of a draft from. A bit of apprehension flitted through his stomach, yet it wasn’t enough to cause him to back out of today’s event. His host started down the passage and Brad followed, eyes darting from side to side even though there was no opportunity for anyone to jump out at him. They remained silent through the passage, their echoing footsteps the only sound. At the end of the walk, they stopped outside a black door with a silver handle. “Do you have any questions before we go in?” the man asked. Brad shook his head. The man’s white teeth gleamed in another smile. “Excellent. Let’s go in then.” He pushed the door open with a grin and a hand encouragingly placed on Brad’s back.

The room behind the door was massive, much larger than Brad had ever expected. Circular like an arena of some sort, the room was brightly lit by several chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and lamps placed along the walls. Massive fireplaces roared to keep the room warm. A dull roar of voices floated between the floor and the high ceiling, a cloud of conversation Brad found himself descending into. There were several faces he recognized, but many more than he didn’t. There was a partner of his talking to two women each holding a glass of champagne. There was his banker with his arm looped through a young man’s. Brad kept to himself as he drifted towards one of the fireplaces. A servant with a tray of champagne glasses approached him. “Something to drink, Alpha?” Brad took a glass, and the servant disappeared. Keeping his eyes on the mingling crowd, Brad smiled to himself. Something about this felt oddly like home, but that may have been the fact that he was surrounded by like-minded conservatives who understood the values and traditions better than the young radicals that were starting to make such a fuss.

“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen!” The host boomed from a small stage Brad had failed to notice in his initial observations. The gathered guests greeted him with smiles and raised glasses. “It’s lovely that you all could come today. Do we have any first-timers?” Brad was reluctant to raise his hand, but when he noticed few others raising theirs, he slowly extended his own. The host smiled with his pearly white teeth. “We do welcome you. I’ll go over the rules. Don’t worry; they’re not too hard to follow.” His gentle teasing was met with chuckles from the more experienced crowd. “The first part of today’s event is simply an opportunity to browse. You all can’t touch, but just ask one of the supervisors if you’d like to inspect something more closely and they will oblige your request. Once the browsing is done, we’ll start the auction. Any questions?”

“How many will you be showing us today?” a man with a booming voice asked.

“Fifteen,” the host said. “We got some from down south. I think you’ll like them. Anything else?” When no one else asked a question, the host waved to a man standing just to the left of the stage. The man walked to a door just behind the stage and pulled it open. Fifteen men dressed in dark clothes like the one who opened the door walked out, each with an omega tethered to their waist. Each omega kept their heads bowed as they walked barefooted behind their supervisor. The omegas were clothed in an off-white tunic belted around their waists. Brad watched each carefully trying to get a sense of each of them as they came out. The supervisor stood evenly spaced around the room with their hands clasped behind their backs and the omegas positioned on display before them. “Let the browsing begin,” their host declared. He hopped off the stage as the crowd dispersed to begin browsing. The host came over to Brad who had yet to move from his post by the fireplace. “I’ll walk with you.” His hand was back to Brad’s back to encourage him to move. “This is a private affair. There’s no need to be nervous. None of these people will talk.”

“Is it that obvious?” Brad murmured.

“Perhaps I know you too well,” the host said fondly. “What are you looking for? Anything you absolutely do or don’t want?”

“I’d prefer a girl,” Brad said, eyes lazily passing over a few of the boy omegas.

“Come see this one then. Something tells me you’ll like her.” The hand steered him to the other side of the room. He was led to a small girl. With her head raised she would only just come to his chest. The white tunic, even belted, hung off of her tiny frame. Her supervisor nodded to both men as they observed her. The host reached forward and forced her to raise her head. Dark eyes almost hidden behind equally as dark bangs stared at Brad, never leaving his face even as the host moved her head from side to side so that his guest could appreciate the angles of the girl’s face. “She’s from the south,” the host told Brad. “She’s well built and very strong.” He pulled the tunic taunt around her revealing the curves she’d been born with.

Brad felt a bit of excitement race through his body. “I’d like to see her teeth,” Brad murmured. She was gorgeous on the outside; was she hiding something inside? The host nodded to the supervisor. Her rope was pulled tight so she didn’t have any room to wiggle away as the supervisor held her head and force her lips back. She wasn’t missing any teeth, but there was a gap between the top two front teeth. Brad considered this a moment. How did he feel about the gap?

His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden commotion on the other side of the room. Shouts and curses rang through the air followed by the sounds of scuffling feet and screaming. “Alpha DiCaprio!” a supervisor shouted. The host left Brad’s side with a murmured apology. Brad glanced at the omega girl whose eyes were now focused on the commotion one last time before he left her to discover what was going on. Brad found DiCaprio looming over an omega boy who was being forced to his knees by two supervisors. The omega was snarling and thrashing against the men holding him. A guest of DiCaprio’s was pressing a handkerchief into his hand. Another guest, a woman, pulled another handkerchief out to wipe what Brad could only assume was spit off the guest’s face. Bringing his full attention to DiCaprio and the omega once more, Brad watched DiCaprio raise his hand and bring it down with a sharp smack across the omega’s cheek. The boy would have fallen sideways if the two supervisors had not been holding him. The omega still glared up at the alpha towering over him. DiCaprio’s hand came down again, but this time it squeezed just where the omega’s should met his neck. “You should consider yourself lucky I have you. I know others who would have killed you on the spot for such insolence.” The omega looked like he was going to be sick, his face pale and his body twitching. “Take him away.” The omega didn’t fight this time, but let himself be dragged away.

DiCaprio stood and smoothed his suit coat before turning back to his guests. “I do apologize for that disturbance.” He approached the guest with the handkerchief. He spoke with the injured man quietly. The other guests lost interest and returned to browsing the remaining fourteen omegas. DiCaprio joined Brad once again, only appearing slightly ruffled from the whole event. “That boy has given me nothing but trouble,” he said as they leisurely walked around the room. “I’d thought we’d finally broken him, but apparently not.”

“What will you do with him?” Brad asked.

DiCaprio sighed. “I didn’t lie when I said others would kill him, but I can’t bring myself to do that. He’s worth a lot.”

“That scene would make it seem he’s more trouble than it’s worth.”

DiCaprio only hummed, changing the subject by asking, “What did you think of her?”

Brad glanced back over to the omega girl he’d been looking at. “I like her a lot. What will she start at?”

DiCaprio turned the question on him. “What do you think she’s worth?”

Brad looked back at the girl once again. He saw another group looking at her which made him frown. “1500 silver pieces.”

DiCaprio’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “That much?”

“I told you I like her.”

Now DiCaprio looked over at the girl. “Okay. 1500 silver pieces and I won’t even put her through the auction since you like her so much.”

Brad’s lips curled into a smile. He pulled out a few bills totaling 1500 silver pieces and handed them to DiCaprio who pocketed the money quickly. Once the ogling group had moved on to another omega, DiCaprio crossed to her supervisor quickly and spoke lowly in his ear. The man nodded and tugged the girl out of the room. “Would you like to stay for the auction or would you like to take her home now?”

Brad took a thoughtful sip of his almost forgotten drink. “I think I’ll stay,” he said once he’d swallowed.

“Excellent.” DiCaprio patted him on the back before leaping up to the stage and capturing the attention of the room. “At this time, I’d like to begin the auction. Due to a few unexpected circumstances, there are only thirteen omegas up for auction today.” This caused a small wave of murmuring to swell from the crowd, but once it had subsided, DiCaprio continued. “We’ll start with Colby. We’ll start at...200 silver pieces.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts on the first chapter?


	2. The Doctor

There were three classes: alphas, betas, and omegas. At the top were the alphas. Alphas were strong, confident (sometimes to the point of cockiness), and imposing if they wanted to be. Alphas demanded respect, but many were soft underneath their hard exteriors. Alphas often held positions of power and authority in their communities, positions they were more than qualified for with their intellect and strength. Below the alphas were the betas. Betas were compromisers, kind to a fault and quietly sure of themselves. Betas used their level heads to mediate arguments among members of their family and community and were often sought for advice regarding various problems. Their words were thought out and their decisions always firm. The lowest, but certainly not an inferior class, were the omegas. Omegas were always happy and ready to please. Sensitive to others feelings, omegas avoided confrontations and strove to be whatever anyone needed. Omegas were the perfect homemakers, always ready to comfort their loved ones and bring peace to their homes.

Finding a mate to spend the rest of your life with was the dream of any alpha, beta, or omega. It meant an end to lonely nights spent wishing for someone to cuddle with. It meant someone who would always be there to listen to you on your no good, very bad days, and someone who would celebrate your greatest achievements with you. It meant someone you could take care of and someone who could take care of you. A mate was something precious, something coveted and cherished. Mated pairs fell into certain categories. An alpha may mate with a beta or an omega, but not an alpha. Two alphas together would result in more fights than necessary and a constant power struggle. (They’d never admit to it outloud, but the alphas liked to feel needed and two alphas simply didn’t need each other.) A beta may mate with an alpha, beta, or omega. Betas wanted to be with someone who would make them happy and take care of them if needed. An omega could mate with an alpha or a beta. Two omegas could never give each other the true emotional comfort or physical satisfaction they craved. Pairs were for life, evident by the mating bite scarred into the skin where the neck met the shoulder. Bites were given by the higher class partner to the lower class partner. (Beta-Beta couples often chose to bite each other since theirs was a relationship of class equality.) To touch another’s mating scar was a major violation of privacy. To break a mating bond, though it was exceedingly rare, was both physically and emotionally traumatizing, and left the partner who broke the bond shamed and often ostracized from their community.

Traditionally, alphas and betas enjoyed all the personal and social freedoms allowed by society. Omegas, however, experienced sometimes extreme limitations in opportunities and freedoms. Omegas were homemakers, caretakers, and baby-makers. The lowest class was considered less intelligent, unable to handle responsibilities outside of the house. Many omegas learned to read, write, and solve basic math problems before being pulled out of school as their bodies reached reproductive maturity. Omegas were taught that respect was shown by staying quiet and keeping their heads down. To meet an alpha or beta’s eyes screamed defiance. To speak without being spoken to was extremely rude. Betas held a higher standing in society’s eyes because of the ideas of higher intelligence (though not as high as alphas) and old traditions everyone simply followed because it was all they knew. Beta girls could have children, but they were perceived as hardier than a pregnant omega and, therefore, not as sheltered as pregnant omegas. Alphas were the typical bread-winners of the households, holding important positions and having the final say in almost everything. Alpha females were occasionally accused of being a bit more aggressive than alpha males, but these accusations came from a few alpha males nursing bruised egos after an alpha female had gotten something they wanted.

These traditional views were slowly starting to crumble as so called “radicals” began to speak out and try to make a difference. Radicals spouted ideas of total class equality at home and in the workplace. Wealthy traditionalists gasped and sneered at the idea of an omega or even a beta (though an omega would be much worse) holding the same positions they did. How could the lower classes possibly comprehend the complexities of the problems faced everyday in these positions of power? Why stress a little omega who, _biologically_ , wasn’t designed for such intense situations? As the radicals spoke, most traditionalists just shook their heads and smiled as if these speakers were young children who were talking of things that were more complicated than they could comprehend. Society was balanced the way it was; everything was working fine. Why did anything need to change? Some traditionalists were not as patient though. These traditionalists spoke out vehemently against the radicals. Some of the rallies held by the impatient traditionalists ended in violent brawls. Despite the resistance built and supported by the traditionalists, their views were indeed crumbling into the foundation for a social revolution.

 

* * *

 

The sun had barely began to peek over the rim of the valley when Niall stepped out of his house. He sucked in a sharp breath before he pulled the collar of his jacket up to cover his neck from the suddenly chilly air. “I suppose that’s the end of the warm weather,” Niall mumbled to himself as he began his walk to work. He walked the same way to work every day. It began with the peaceful quiet of his street allowing the cobwebs leftover from sleep to be dusted away before he reached the main road. At the intersection of his street and the main road, Niall would pause to take in the view of the valley under the golden haze of the rising sun. The scene always took his breath away, especially in the autumn when the red and yellow leaves seemed to sparkle as the shadows of the night melted under the fresh rays of the morning sun. In early October, like today, the trees had already shed their fall coats and stretched their bare branches to the sun in search of the slight winter warmth the light provided. Niall took a deep breath, energy filling him as the winter air blew away the last bits of sleep. He turned from the rising sun to walk down the main road towards his office. There were a few apartment complexes located on the main road, but these were full of younger people who were busy studying at school or under a mentor and who would more than likely opt to leave town once they completed their studies. Niall couldn’t fathom ever leaving the valley for the hustle and bustle of the city, but he’d never been one for all the noise and commotion a city held. The complexes were dispersed among the shops and offices lining the main road. Most of the businesses were still dark this early in the morning, but Niall knew of at least two that would already be getting ready for the day: the grocer and the baker.

The smell of fresh bread caught Niall’s attention as he came upon the baker’s shop. Mr. Jones, an older beta, ran the shop with his beta mate Mrs. Jones. Mrs. Jones was wiping down the front windows when Niall approached this morning. “Good morning, Mrs. Jones,” Niall greeted.

The older woman started when Niall greeted her, but she pressed a hand over her suddenly racing heart and sighed with a smile when she saw it was just Niall. “Morning, Dr. Horan. How are you today?”

“I’m doing well. I’m sorry for scaring you,” Niall said.

“Don’t worry about it,” Mrs. Jones dismissed. “I should have been expecting it. You always do say hello in the mornings when you pass by. I guess I was just thinking too hard.”

Niall caught onto the worry laced into the woman’s final words. “Is everything alright?” he asked.

Mrs. Jones pursed her lips while she decided if she wanted to tell Niall what was going on. Going back to wiping off the windows, she began to talk, “Mr. Jones has been feeling under the weather, though he’s too stubborn to do more than go to bed a little earlier every night. He says it’s just exhaustion, but I think it’s more. I want him to come see you, but he tells me not to worry and that he’s fine. I try to not worry about him, but we’re not twenty-three anymore. I just wish I knew what was wrong.”

Niall squeeze Mrs. Jones’ arm and sent a reassuring smile her way. “I know your husband. He’s never been to me for anything other than a yearly check-up, but I’ll check on him tonight. I’ll stop by for dinner or something like that, okay?”

Mrs. Jones’ shoulders dropped a bit of tension as she dropped the cloth she’d been wiping windows with into the bucket at her feet. “Stop by for dinner. You’ve not been by in forever, and I feel like we need to catch up.”

“Sounds good to me. Is he in the back?” Niall asked.

Mrs. Jones nodded and followed Niall into the back of the shop where Mr. Jones was preparing dough for the next batch of bread. “Good morning Mr. Jones,” Niall greeted.

The man looked up from his dough with a toothy grin. “Good morning, Niall. Come for your day-old loaf?”

“Of course. I’ve no other reason to be here,” Niall teased.

Mr. Jones chuckled as he wiped his flour covered hands on his apron before getting a loaf of bread from a wrack hanging on the wall. Niall pressed a couple of silver pieces into Mr. Jones’ hand in exchange for the bread. “Thank you, Mr. Jones. I’ll be around for dinner,” Niall told the baker. “Your mate was kind enough to invite me to dinner.”

Mr. Jones’ smile got even bigger. “That sounds wonderful. It’s been too long since we’ve had anyone over, but it feels like years since you’ve been to dinner.”

“She said the same thing. I’m looking forward to it.”

Mr. Jones clapped Niall on the back, wishing him a good day and expressing his excitement for dinner as the doctor left the baker’s shop. Continuing his walk, Niall passed the post office, bookstore, and a clothing shop stocked with new styles from the city. The clothing shop was the newest business to reach town. The owner was an alpha woman who wanted to update everyone’s “country fashion” with the “latest looks from the city”. The wealthier members of the town latched onto the idea and proudly paraded around in their new clothes while the majority of the townspeople kept to their old styles that fit their work and didn’t empty their wallets. A pair of apartment complexes separated the clothing shop from the grocery store. The owner of the grocery store was an alpha whose mate had passed away a few months ago after a fight with a sickness Niall had been unable to do anything about despite his best efforts. This morning, the alpha was slowly placing the last of the fall fruits in the outside shelves. As Niall drew closer, the alpha looked up, hand paused midway between the basket hanging from his arm and the shelf. “Good morning, doctor,” he greeted.

“Good morning, Mr. Higgins,” Niall replied. “How are you doing?”

Niall fully expected the alpha to answer with the same _I’m doing as well as I can be_ he gave every morning, but he was surprised when Mr. Higgins said, “I’m tired.” Turning to face the doctor, Mr. Higgins’ eyes were sunken and his skin was pale. “I can’t eat. I can barely get out of bed. The shop is too quiet without…” Mr. Higgins' words disappeared in a sigh. “I’ve lost my purpose.”

Niall placed a hand on Mr. Higgins' shoulder. The alpha covered his eyes with his hand to hide the tears from the doctor. He didn’t have anything to say that would be helpful. Losing a mate was the worst thing to ever happen to a person. Nothing made sense without your mate. You lost a part of yourself that couldn’t be properly replaced. Not many people could withstand that loss. Mr. Higgins' hand reached up and squeezed Niall’s. “You know where I am if you ever need me,” Niall told the alpha. “I could give you something to help you sleep if you’d like.”

Mr. Higgins smiled but shook his head. “I’m scared if I use medicine to help me sleep, I’ll take too much and disappoint him. I promised him that I wouldn’t try to follow him if it wasn’t natural. Thank you, though.”

“You’re welcome.” With a final squeeze, Niall took his hand from the alpha’s shoulder and gave him a small smile. “I know he’s proud of you.” Niall left Mr. Higgins after that, letting the quiet morning wrap around him once more. He passed by the law enforcement building where the night shift was changing with the morning shift. The night officers shuffled out yawning and greeting the morning officers with sleepy voices. The morning officers returned the greetings quietly as they went inside. The law enforcement building was across from the bank, and a couple of odds and ends shops separated the bank from Niall’s office. The doctor’s office was located on the corner of the main road and another side street that lead to the school and the town’s park. Niall’s patients were often children who’d gotten into a scuffle at the school or eaten too many sweets when the town’s carnival was in the park. He loved the kids and their stories about how they ended up in Niall’s office. His favorite story had been from an omega boy who come to him with a broken arm. He’d been playing a game that combined hide and seek and tag with his friends. He’d been discovered by the seeker and taken off running towards the safe tree to avoid being tagged it. He claimed that, as he was running, a dragon had popped out from behind a tree and scared him so much that he’d broken his arm in an attempt to break his fall. His friend, the seeker, said that the boy had been laughing and looking back at her as she was chasing after him. He’d tripped over a branch and fallen while shouting about how she couldn’t catch him. She’d tagged him.

Niall sank into the chair behind his desk with a happy sigh. His assistant had started a fire in his office so the room was warm when he arrived. Today’s patient files had been stacked neatly on his desk and a warm cup of coffee was waiting for him. Niall took a sip of the drink, humming happily as the warmth seeped through his body. He picked up the top file and began to prepare for his day.


	3. Meet...Everyone

The car rattled over the dirt road leading down the the town. Zayn pressed his face excitedly against the window in an attempt to get his first glimpse of his new home. He and his new mate seemed to have travelled for months to get here, but really it’d only been a few days spent cooped up in either a loud train or a bouncy car. His bum was sore, and the anticipatory buzz itching under his skin made it impossible for him to sit still. As the car leveled off onto the paved main road, Zayn’s eyes landed on the small town he was coming to live in. People moved along the sidewalks talking to one another and looking at merchandise displayed outside different shops. The shops looked bright and inviting with their best products displayed in their shops. Children were darting between adults as they chased each other or a ball they kicked between each other. Zayn watched-- as best he could from the car --as a street performer juggled brightly colored balls that stood out against the gray front of the building he was in front of. The car’s horn pulled his attention from outside his window. A few kids had darted into the street after their ball. They waved apologetically before scampering back to the sidewalks.

“We’re almost there, angel. Are you excited?”

“I’m probably more excited than I should be,” Zayn said as he turned to grin at the alpha next to him. Liam Payne, with his broad shoulders and brown eyes, was the love of Zayn’s life. They’d met quite by accident. Zayn’s father ran his hometown’s hotel. Zayn was just cleaning up the front desk late one night when Liam came in. Zayn was painfully shy, so he often helped out late at night when no one else would be around. When Liam first spoke to him, Zayn had completely frozen up before darting to the back to get his sister to help the late-night arrival. After he’d been checked in, Liam seemed to always be somewhere he could be near Zayn. Zayn always felt his eyes on him, which made him more nervous than being around other people already did. His hands shook and his stomach twisted everytime he caught the alpha’s eye accidentally. It was like the alpha was purposely trying to upset him. One late afternoon, the alpha had cornered the shy omega in the lobby. He asked him what there was to do in and around town, where the good places to eat were, what he couldn’t leave town with trying. All these questions were something Zayn’s sister was more than qualified to answer, but Liam was asking him. Zayn stumbled through a reply before darting back to the safety of his mother’s side in the kitchen. The next time Zayn saw Liam, the alpha was talking to his father. Had Zayn screwed up his answer that badly? What was Liam saying? How would his father take it? Why hadn’t Liam just asked his sister? Zayn chose the moment Zayn started panicking to see him. He waved his son over with a reassuring smile. Zayn’s feet moved of their own accord as Zayn’s wide eyes darted between Liam and his dad. _Zayn, this is Liam. He was wondering if you’d be willing to show him around today_ his dad had said. Zayn nearly fainted as his head spun to try to catch up with what his father was saying. Liam had fixed him with a stunning smile that had Zayn ready to pass out for a completely different reason. For some reason, unknown to him, Zayn had agreed. It probably had something to do with not disappointing his father. (He was a people pleaser after all.) Zayn and Liam clicked, and were barely apart the rest of Liam’s visit. On his last day, Liam asked Zayn to walk with him to the train. Zayn had tried, but failed at hiding his tears as he hugged Liam goodbye. He stayed at the station until he couldn’t see the train. Trudging home, Zayn returned to his reclusive, silent self. Nothing anyone could do would cheer him up or even gently tug his lips into the smile his parents had gotten used to seeing him with over the past few weeks. When Liam showed up in the lobby a few days later, Zayn promptly broke into loud, ugly sobs in front of everyone. He was too happy to be properly embarrassed about crying in public. _I’m not leaving you ever again_ Liam murmured over and over into the omega’s ear after pulling him into his arms. His words just made Zayn clutch him harder. Liam had kept his promise and the two hadn’t spent a moment apart since then.

The car turned down a side road, passing by a few houses squished together before the buildings gave way to trees, open space, and fresh air. Zayn reached for Liam’s hand as they wound their way towards Liam’s house. Liam squeezed his omega’s hand reassuringly. He could sense the nerves suddenly rolling off his boy. “C’mere,” Liam coaxed, tugging Zayn into his lap. “What’s got you nervous all of a sudden?”

“What if your housekeeper or your other staff don’t like me?” Zayn murmured his cheeks turning red. They’d already had this discussion, but sometimes Zayn just couldn’t believe all that Liam told him.

“They’re going to love you,” Liam said brushing a hand through Zayn’s hair. “Annie called me last night and asked all kinds of questions to make sure you’d be absolutely, 100% comfortable when you got here. The entire staff has been dying to meet you. Annie will probably say some silly line like I’ve never seen you so happy, Liam and she’ll call you ‘the cutest thing since sliced bread’. That’s one of her favorite expressions. I personally am not a fan of pre-sliced bread. It takes all the fun out of trying to cut it evenly by yourself.”

Zayn giggled at that. “Wouldn’t you find that frustrating if you couldn’t cut it evenly?”

“Never,” Liam assured him. “It always leads to a great laugh.” He rubbed Zayn’s back as one of his chimneys began to poke above the trees. “It’s just around this corner,” Liam told Zayn quietly. Zayn sucked in a breath, his mind trying to decide if it was nervous-excited or nervous-scared. He wanted to be able to say he felt nervous-excited, but realising that he was now going to be meeting and living with people he’d only ever heard about made him more nervous-scared than anything. What if they didn’t like him? What if he accidentally offended one of them and caused a massive problem in the house?

“Remember to breathe, angel,” Liam reminded him gently as the car rounded the last corner and his house came into view.

It was larger than a modest house, but not large enough to be considered grand. Zayn had never seen any house as big as Liam’s, though, so it seemed massive to him. It was made of stone, with black shingles on the roof. Two rows of windows, each flanked by black shutters, shimmered in the early afternoon sun. Two chimneys bookended the house, each with smoke lazily drifting among the surrounding trees. The road ended in a large circle in front of the house. The car rolled around the edge of the circle, coming to a stop in front of the door. Zayn pressed himself into Liam’s chest when he spotted the beaming housekeeper standing on the front stoop. He couldn’t see any of the other staff members, but he knew that they were somewhere in the house. If the sun wasn’t glancing off the windows like it was, he’d probably be able to see a couple of curious faces peering out at the car. The driver opened the door for them with a welcoming smile on his face. Zayn eased himself off of Liam’s lap to stand with his back to the house, unable to face the housekeeper without Liam standing by him. Liam stood, kissing Zayn’s forehead as he straightened up. Zayn gave a shy wave to the driver before the man got back in the car and drove around to the back of the house. Liam turned his omega around and together the two men walked towards the woman by the door.

“Oh, Liam!” she gushed. “He’s so pretty!” The woman came down the stairs with her arms open wide. Before Zayn fully knew what was going on, her arms were wrapped around the two men squeezing tightly.

“Annie! Annie!” Liam chuckled. “You’re going to scare him.”

The woman immediately dropped her arms and covered her mouth with her hands. “Oh goodness! You’re right. I forgot! I’m sorry, sweetheart,” Annie said to Zayn with a big smile. “I’m Annie, Liam’s housekeeper.” She extended her hand for Zayn to shake.

“I’m Zayn,” the omega replied shyly, shaking her hand. “It’s nice to meet you. Liam has told me a lot about you.”

The housekeeper looked at the alpha with a smirk. “I hope it’s been all good things.”

Zayn nodded. “They were all very good things.”

“Liam, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this happy.”

A sudden burst of laughter escaped from between Zayn’s lips before he clapped his hands over his mouth. Liam squeeze his shoulder with a conspiratory smile on his own face. Annie looked between them obviously confused. Liam chose to ignore Zayn’s laugh and steered the conversation away from it. “I haven’t ever been this happy before.”

A sudden breeze ruffled the trees and sent a chill through the three people outside the house. “Oh, how awful of me! Come inside, come inside! It’s cold. You’ve missed some unnaturally warm weather, Liam.” Annie led the way into the house, chattering about things Zayn couldn’t follow because they seemed to apply to the house and the community, both things he was new to. “...Did you hear about Mr. Higgins?”

“I did. It’s truly awful. I’ll have to see him once we’ve all gotten settled. Have you seen him? How’s he doing?”

Annie’s smile slipped into a frown. “He gets up and runs the store, but it will never be the same. I took him some cookies the other day. Sweets always help me at least cope a bit with sadness.” Annie sighed, before her aspect brightened and she returned to her former chatter. “Enough of this though. Today is a happy day. I’ll go get lunch started. You two must be starving. You know what to do if you need anything.” With that she waved and disappeared down the hallway.

“What do we do if we need anything?” Zayn asked Liam, looking up at the alpha curiously.

“We use one of the speakers she got installed in every room. I’ll point them out as I show you around. Annie doesn’t like raised voices, so she had this entire system installed. It’s quite a production. My old cook -- she’s retired now -- refused to use them. Said they were the work of the evil spirits, that a person’s voice shouldn’t be able to come through a wall. I like them. It makes getting what I need so much easier.”

“They sound like what my mom and dad used to communicate. I never really got how they worked,” Zayn said, trying to spot one of the speakers Annie had installed.

“Follow me,” Liam said with his smile evident in his voice. “The closest one is in the parlor.” Liam tugged Zayn off to the left. Zayn tried to look around and see the room, but Liam had him by the shoulders and turned him so that he could look at a brown box with a black circle in the center. “All you have to do is press that red button right there,” Liam pointed to a read circle in the upper left corner of the brown box, “and then Annie will say something sweet and you tell her what you want and she brings it.”

Zayn blinked slowly at the box. He’d never liked the one his parents used, nor had he liked it when they’d gotten a phone. It was strange to hear a disembodied coming out of a wall or a funny looking contraption hanging on the wall. He could see the reason behind using them, the added convenience they provided, but it was still too weird for him. “I think I agree with your old cook.”

“But your parents…”

“I never used them. They freaked me out,” Zayn admitted.

Liam hummed as his hands wandered from Zayn’s shoulders, down his arms, and intertwined them with Zayn’s. His lips pressed gently into Zayn’s hair, down his neck, and along his shoulder. “You’re too adorable. How about I show you upstairs, hm?”

“But I haven’t seen downstairs yet, Liam,” Zayn murmured.

“There’s nothing exciting downstairs. C’mon, let’s go upstairs.” Liam scooped Zayn into his arms and began carrying him up the stairs. Zayn pretended to resist by squirming, though when he almost fell out of Liam’s arms, he stopped moving and curled his arm securely around Liam’s neck. “Don’t worry, angel. I’m not going to drop you.” Liam took a few more steps before they were interrupted.

“Now where are you two off to?”

Liam froze with his feet on two different steps. He turned slowly to face his housekeeper with a guilty smile gracing his lips. “We were going to look around upstairs.”

Annie crossed her arms with a knowing arch of her eyebrow. “Upstairs? What are you going to show him up there? The more interesting things are down here.”

Zayn blushed and hid his face in Liam’s chest. Annie knew what they’d really been going upstairs to do, and he couldn’t handle someone other than the two of them knowing that. He could hardly stand it when Liam teased him. Someone who lived in the house with him who also could tease him might just be too much to handle. “Li,” Zayn groaned.

“How’s lunch coming?” Liam asked, in a vain attempt to get the attention away from the fact that he and Zayn were going upstairs without properly looking around.

“It’s ready. Would you like me to bring it upstairs?” Annie asked.

Zayn pressed his face harder into Liam’s chest. Liam kissed his omega’s forehead. “We’ll come down and eat in the kitchen with you and the staff.” Liam, with Zayn still in his arms, went back down the stairs he’d just climbed and followed his housekeeper to the kitchen.

“Have a seat. I’ll get everyone else in here before serving.” Annie went over to a speaker next to the pantry door. She pressed the red button and waited until the speaker buzzed twice before speaking into it. “Lunch is served. If you want any, it’s in the kitchen.”

Liam sat at the head of the large kitchen table with Zayn safely in his lap. “We have a dining room,” he was telling the boy in his arms, “but I only ever use it if I have a party, which isn’t often. I’ve eaten down here since I’ve lived here. It makes eating a much less lonely affair.” He ran his fingers through Zayn’s hair to keep the omega calm as the staff started joining them at the table. They gave curious glances to Zayn, but didn’t comment. They’d wait until Liam properly introduced them. Annie and another girl placed plates, silverware, and glasses before everyone around the table. A plate of sandwiches was placed in the center of the table, bowls of sides around the plate, glasses were filled, and Annie and the girl sat down.

“Don’t you all just stare at the food. Take some,” Annie instructed.

Liam reached for the food first, filling both his and Zayn’s plates, and the staff followed his example, quickly becoming engrossed in eating and their own conversations. Zayn kept his focus on his food and Liam’s hand in his hair. When there was a lull in conversation, Liam shifted Zayn into the empty chair next to him before standing. The talking that there was died down as the attention turned to the alpha standing at the head of the table. Zayn admired Liam’s resilience with the sudden attention. If it’d been him, he’d be a blushing, stuttering mess by now. “As you all are most likely aware, I found my mate while traveling. Everyone meet Zayn,” Liam motioned to the black-haired boy next to him. Zayn blushed madly as all the staff’s eyes fell on him. He waved timidly, his voice stuck in his throat with all the attention. They’d talked about this, he and Liam. He’d rather be introduced to everyone all at once instead of multiple introductions made as necessary, even though the social anxiety was probably worse this way. At least it would now be over and Zayn could begin to get comfortable around everyone. At this moment, however, Zayn was regretting the idea of a mass introduction; it was a little much for his nerves. Instinctively, he reached for Liam’s hand. Liam smiled reassuringly at him, squeezing his hand to comfort him. “Zayn, meet...everyone.” Each member of the staff went around and said their name. Zayn repeated them all in his head, sure he’d screw them up the first few times, but certain that he’d get them eventually. Liam turned his attention to Zayn. “Are you done eating, Z?” Zayn nodded. Liam smiled. “Excellent. Now, if you all will excuse us, I’m going to show Zayn around.”

“Have fun you two!” Annie called after them as they tried not to seem like they were rushing out of the room.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Old-comers may have noticed that I changed the a/b/o assignment of Harry and Louis. I've been asked why I changed them. The answer is simply that I saw them differently, but I am still deciding what I want to do with them. I'm leaning towards the original omega Louis and alpha Harry, but haven't decided for sure.
> 
> So what are your thoughts so far on the story and/or the a/b/o class of Harry and Louis?


	4. A Peppermint Stick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The quote from King Arthur is taken from "Le Morte d'Arthur: King Arthur and the Legends of the Round Table".

It was early the next morning when Zayn woke up cuddled into Liam’s side. The sun had yet to sneak through the curtains, so the room was too dark for him to really make out anything particularly interesting about Liam’s bedroom, now their bedroom. The thought made Zayn unbelievably giddy. He smiled so hard his cheeks hurt so he tried to rub the smile away, but failed. He twisted so that he could see Liam still asleep next to him. Zayn didn’t have the heart to wake up the alpha so early, so he quietly slipped from the bed and tip-toed out of the room. He’d go exploring by himself until Liam woke himself up. Down the stairs, Zayn found himself in the entrance hall. He knew that the kitchen was at the end of the hall to his left, and the only other room near the front door seemed to be the parlor where Liam had shown him Annie’s speaker, so Zayn went the left to see what he could find between the front door and the kitchen. The first room he came to had a large table surrounded by many chairs. There was something empty about the room that had Zayn quickly moving on. Maybe that room was more inviting when the lights were on and people were chatting happily while they ate. Zayn next found a billiards room. There were a couple of pool tables in the center of the room, their green tops dim in the dull lighting. Other tables were scattered around the room. Zayn assumed they were for card or board games. Zayn noticed two wooden lanes with funny looking objects set up in a pyramid at one end of the lanes. There was a rack full of black balls with a trio of holes drilled in them. Zayn had never seen whatever this game was; he’d have to ask Liam what it was later, and maybe he’d challenge him to a game of pool. That was one game he’d been able to eventually beat his dad at. Down from the billiards room was a smaller room with bookshelves along one wall, a desk under the windows that faced the back of Liam’s property, and some leather armchairs sitting around  a low table. Zayn guessed this was Liam’s office. He made a beeline for the bookshelves, but frowned when each book was only labeled with numbers or a name. Zayn had hoped to find something interesting to read with Liam. They’d finished their last book in Paris, and they hadn’t had time to start another one.

_Zayn turned his attention from the fields rolling past the train windows to Liam sitting next to him with his nose in a book. Zayn was a bit envious that Liam could read so well. Zayn could read a little, but he’d always needed to ask his mom to help him with words or understanding what a sentence was saying. His mom had always been happy to help him, but Zayn had felt bad constantly interrupting her work, so he hadn’t actually read anything in a long time. “What are you reading?” he asked Liam quietly._

_Liam looked up from the page. “It’s a story about King Arthur.”_

_Zayn’s brow furrowed and his lips pursed. “Who’s King Arthur?”_

_Liam’s eyes widened comically as if he was truly offended that Zayn didn’t know who King Arthur was. “You’ve never heard of King Arthur?” Zayn shook his head. He’d always liked reading the folk stories of his hometown. King Arthur had not been included in those stories. “Well, we’re going to have to fix that. Here,” Liam pulled Zayn into his lap and held the book in front of the smaller boy. “Can you read?” he asked softly._

_Zayn chewed on his lip. He wasn’t sure if Liam would be upset if he could or not. “I read a little bit, but not very well,” Zayn admitted softly._

_He felt Liam kiss the back of his neck with a gentle smile. “That’s alright. I’ll help you. We’ll take turns reading the chapters out loud. It’s better that way.”_

_“But you’re already so far into the story,” Zayn said._

_Liam dismissed Zayn’s concern with, “King Arthur is one of my favorites. I’m more than happy to start it over. You read first.”_

_Zayn twisted so that he could kiss Liam’s cheek before turning to the book his alpha held for him. “This is the oath of a Knight of King Arthur’s Round Table…”_

Zayn sighed, turning away from the bookshelves and leaving the room. At the end of the hall were two doors. One Zayn knew lead to the kitchen. What was behind the other door was still a mystery. Zayn pushed it open and gasped when he saw what was inside. Books, so many books, lined the four walls. How had Liam ever gotten so many books? There were even books stacked eight or nine high next to chairs and couches around the room. Zayn found himself suddenly bouncing with energy. They’d never run out of things to read. Zayn stepped into the library barely breathing. Slowly, almost reverently, he began walking the perimeter of the room with his hand gently brushing along every spine. He was dizzy with excited anticipation. Above him, windows let in early morning light that warmed the books along the eastern wall and left the room almost buzzing with an energy Zayn kept feeding off of. He discovered a set of french double doors hidden in the back of the library. Zayn lifted the small hook that kept the doors locked and pushed them open. He stepped onto a massive back porch just as the sun began to peak over the rim of the valley. He took a deep breath of fresh, crisp air. This was his home now, and he couldn’t be more thrilled about it.

Liam had woken up shortly after he’d sleepily heard a door open and close with a soft click. He’d been a bit disoriented and then a bit panicked when he couldn’t find Zayn. Liam had calmed himself with the knowledge that Zayn’s spot was still a little warm so the boy hadn’t been gone long, and he couldn’t sense any fear or panic from Zayn through their bond. His ability to sense Zayn’s emotions through their bond was slowly beginning to diminish, which was natural but disappointing. At the beginning feeling both his emotions and Zayn’s emotions had been almost too overwhelming. Now Liam loved it, and he would definitely miss the intensity of it all. He’d never fully lose the ability to sense Zayn’s emotions, yet he couldn’t help but long for the intensity of the first few days after they’d bonded. Done with silly ruminations, Liam had pushed himself from bed and followed Zayn’s scent down stairs and ultimately to the library. Stepping into the room of books, Liam hadn’t spotted Zayn immediately causing him a bit of panic, but then he’d seen the open doors and Zayn sitting at the top of the back steps with his eyes on the sunrise. He’d been rooted to the spot by the beauty of Zayn and how the sun kissed the omega’s skin making him glow. As he silently approached, he heard Zayn singing softly to himself. He crouched behind his omega, leaned in, and began softly pressing kisses along the boy’s shoulders and neck. “You are the most stunning creature I’ve ever seen, angel,” Liam breathed as he kissed Zayn tenderly. “I love you so much.” Zayn just hummed and leaned into Liam’s touch in response. Liam sat behind Zayn, pulling the omega to his chest once he was settled. Together they watched the lower curve of the sun rise above the valley. A breeze slowly drifted over the trees, rustling leaves and causing Zayn to shiver a bit. He wasn’t going to admit to being cold, though, because he didn’t want to move from this exact spot. Liam, however, had a different idea. “We should go back inside. It’s too chilly to be out.”

Zayn stopped him by placing a hand on his knee so that he couldn’t move his leg. “Just a few more minutes?”

Liam couldn’t deny the love of his life a thing, even if it was probably better if he did. He easily settled into his original spot. Zayn started singing again, and Liam closed his eyes as he listened. He loved when Zayn sang. It was rare that the omega let him hear him; Zayn was a bit self conscious when it came to his singing. He’d often stop if he saw someone or just thought someone could hear him. Liam told the boy he had a lovely voice, but Zayn would just smile and blush without believing Liam’s words.

When Zayn shivered again, Liam made a firmer decision to go inside. “I’ll have Annie bring us breakfast in the library. Did you find a book you wanted to start?”

Zayn took the hand Liam offered him and let himself be led into the warmth of the library. “I got distracted by the view,” he told Liam as the other locked the doors. “And I couldn’t read a few of them.”

“You pick one out and I’ll tell Annie our breakfast plans. After we eat, would you like to go into town with me. You’re going to need some warmer clothes, and I’m sure Annie needs some things for around here. I’d also like to visit with Mr. Higgins. He lost his mate while we were in Paris.”

Zayn’s eyes grew wide and his breath caught.He tried to imagine a world without Liam. His mind drew a blank. There simply was no world without Liam. “I can’t imagine what that feels like,” Zayn said quietly.

“Neither can I,” Liam said as he ran a hand through Zayn’s hair. They spent a moment in silence, reassuring themselves that the other was really there, and then Liam spoke again, “Go pick out a book, angel.”

Zayn broke away, and went to where he’d left off in his stroll around the library. His fingers brushed over the books once more. His eyes darted from the top to the bottom shelf, alighting on several books whose decorative colors sparked his curiosity even if he couldn’t read the titles. He stopped when he was almost back to where he began. He pulled the book that caught his eye carefully from the shelf. It was dark blue with gold swirls interlocking over the cover. In the center was an oval drawing of a tiny girl holding a flower while she stood on top of a red topped mushroom while looking at the sky. Zayn’s finger slowly traced the letters of the author’s name and the title. He was intrigued by the little girl on the mushroom. What was her story? Why was she so small?

“Find something?”

Zayn silently held the book out to Liam. Liam smiled when he saw what Zayn had picked. “Good choice. I love Andersen’s fairy tales.”

“I think you’ve loved every book we’ve read,” Zayn murmured.

Liam nodded. “That’s true. I’m a sucker for a good book. You’ve like them haven’t you?” Zayn’s nodded was a bit more enthusiastic than Liam’s. “Good,” the alpha chuckled. They were interrupted by breakfast arriving. Annie bid them both good morning before disappearing again. Zayn ate quietly as Liam launched into a story about town. The omega listened attentively, oo-ing and ah-ing in all the appropriate places. The story was about some younger kids who set off fireworks during a long holiday weekend, and the explosions had everyone in a tizzy since they didn’t know where they were coming from. The law enforcers had come out thinking the noise was gunshots. When the kids were discovered, everyone had been relieved and annoyed. There wasn’t a madman on the loose, but there had been quite a scare. The kids, all alpha males, had been assigned to community service for a month. “We told them that if they had another fireworks show, they should invite us all,” Liam said with a smile. “Poor Mrs. Jones, the baker’s mate, had been so frightened.”

“Can we just go right now?” Zayn asked.

“Go where?”

“To town,” Zayn said. “You’ve told me so many stories about it. I want to see it all now in real life, and not from behind the window of a car.”

Liam finished chewing a bite of toast as he thought. He didn’t really need to spend a lot of time making his decision. He’d so far been unable to truly deny Zayn anything; he wasn’t about to change that now. “Sure thing. You’ll be wearing one of my coats though. You’ve not got anything warm enough.”

“Thank you,” Zayn said with a kiss to Liam’s cheek. After another few minutes, they had the car brought around while they got dressed. Once again, Zayn couldn’t sit still in the backseat of the car as they rode to town. He nearly fell on his face when he scrambled out. Liam, luckily, caught him before he could fall in front of all the people who were in town. He would have never guessed so many people lived in Liam’s small town. Zayn pressed himself against Liam as their car slowly pulled away. “I didn’t think there’d be so many people,” Zayn said.

Liam rubbed his back soothingly. “It’s not usually this crowded. I forgot that it would be Market Day. Every two weeks, local and outside vendors line the main road with their stands and sell an assortment of things. We could go back home and come back another day when it’s not so crowded if you want.”

Zayn chewed his lip as he considered Liam’s offer. They weren’t in the giant mass of people yet and his nerves were already almost fried. He’d been so very excited to see town _today_. “We can stay.” He wished his voice hadn’t shook so bad when he spoke.

“Are you sure?” Liam asked his concern plainly evident in his voice. Zayn didn’t do crowds. They were just staring at the mass of people before them and the boy was trembling and pale. “I won’t be mad if you want to go back.”

“No. I want to stay,” Zayn said a bit more firmly. “I don’t want to have wasted the drive out here.”

Liam wasn’t going to tell Zayn that the drive would not have been a waste if they went back now. They’d had similar arguments before, and Zayn had always won. Though that might be because Liam has a large soft spot for the black-haired omega. “Alright, but if you want to go back at any time, let me know. Hold my hand and stay close. I don’t want you to get separated from me, okay?”

Zayn took Liam’s hand and a deep breath. He could do this. It would be like when his sister had helped him conquer his fear of jumping off the rocks at the beach. He’d watched her climb to the top of these tall rocks and then dive into the water for hours one summer when his family had gone to the beach. He’d been so jealous of her, but those rocks were so high. His parents had given up trying to get him to go with her when all he did was shake his head and squeeze his knees a bit closer to his chest. They were just about to leave when his sister had insisted that she just had to jump _one more time_. Before Zayn could properly protest, his sister took him by the hand and dragged him to the top of one of the shorter rocks. (If you asked Zayn, the rock was so tall he could almost touch the purple clouds drifting lazily by. If you asked his sister, Zayn was “just being a big baby”.). Now, it was Liam pulling him into a crowd of strangers. The tug on his arm was like the push his sister gave him that sent him plummeting into the cold ocean water. He luckily knew how to doggie paddle. (He wasn’t a fan of the water either.) At least the bodies around them weren’t cold.

A few people greeted Liam excitedly when they saw him. Zayn would pressed himself into Liam’s back during these encounters in an effort to disappear. It never really worked (Zayn could sense the curious stares placed on him), but Liam was good about quietly introducing him and then changing the subject. They oozed through the crowd, greeting people or looking at an eye-catching stand. Zayn’s fancy was captured by a stand selling incense and scented candles. His mother used to burn incense when he was sick to help him calm down and sleep since being sick made him nervous which was never good for getting better. She’d sing his favorite lullaby for him whenever he asked when he was sick. Zayn pulled Liam to the stand. The vendor was in another conversation when they arrived, but they didn’t care. Zayn just wanted to see if the vendor had his favorite scent.

While Zayn was smelling a golden candle, Liam said, “I’m going to be right back, okay. My boss is over there, and I need to go say hello. Stay here. I won’t be longer than two minutes.”

Zayn wasn’t really listening, his mind wandering as he smelled a bright red candle, but he got the gist of what Liam was saying. Liam was gone, but Zayn just focused on finding a candle. The vendor finished his conversation and turned his attention to Zayn. “Can I help you find anything?” he asked.

Zayn jumped at the voice. He looked up at the vendor, but then quickly went back to looking at the candles. “Uh...do you have anything that smells like vanilla?”

The vendor rubbed his chin. “Vanilla…” he repeated slowly. “Let me look.” The vendor bent down to look at the shelves behind the counter. Zayn reached for another candle, but his hand suddenly brushed against something that wasn’t a candle. He snatched his hand back and looked fearfully up at the person that was suddenly next to him. The person was a male beta, but the smug expression on his face made Zayn’s stomach twist uncomfortably.

“S-sorry,” Zayn stuttered out before he dropped his eyes to the ground. He wanted Liam. He glanced over his shoulder, trying to spot Liam before he made a run for it, but then the male beta was taking a step closer to him and Zayn began to panic. He turned his back on the offending beta quickly only to smack into someone else. Hands came up to Zayn’s shoulders to steady the omega before he toppled backwards into the male beta. Zayn’s wide eyes turned up to see who he’d run into, and he almost wanted to puke. The scent of an alpha rolled powerfully from the man he’d run into. Blue-green eyes stared into Zayn’s hazel ones before rolling down the omega’s body. Zayn began to shake. The strange alpha still had his hands on him. Where was Liam? What was keeping Liam so long? Hadn’t he said he’d be gone only two minutes? Surely it had been longer than two minutes. He _needed_ Liam. Zayn watched with utter terror as the strange alpha’s lips began to move. “Now what’s a pretty little thing like you doing wandering around here all by yourself?”

He was by himself. Liam was somewhere else with somebody else. Zayn opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He felt beads of sweat start to form along his hairline. He should have just gone back like Liam had suggested. Liam was always right. He should always listen to Liam.

“Zayn!”

The omega snapped his head to the sound of his name. Liam was there! Liam was next to him! The strange alpha finally let go of the omega who ran to his alpha. Liam wrapped his arms tightly around Zayn and rocked him gently in an effort to quell the last of Zayn’s panic. “Are you alright?” Liam asked once he was sure Zayn wasn’t going to pass out on him.

Zayn nodded shyly. He should be able to be alone in public without having an almost-panic attack. “I’m better now.”

“I didn’t know you were back, Liam,” the strange alpha spoke.

Liam’s arms tightened slightly around Zayn keeping the omega’s back to the strange alpha and his face hidden in his chest. “I just got back yesterday. The news hasn’t been spread properly yet.”

“I trust you had a nice trip. You were gone for almost a year.”

“It was the best trip of my life.” Liam’s hand was now running through Zayn’s hair in an effort to keep Zayn calm and stop his own mounting fear.

The strange alpha hummed. “That’s excellent news. We’ll have to catch up someday soon. What do you think?”

“That sounds like an excellent plan, Leo.”

“Good,” Leo said. “I’ll call you and we can work something out. I’m sure you have some great stories to tell.”

Liam only let his arms relax around Zayn once Leo and the beta had disappeared. He pressed his lips to Zayn’s forehead, breathing in the scent of his mate to calm himself down. “Are you alright?” he asked once more.

Zayn kept a grip on Liam’s upper arms while he nodded. “Are you alright? Who was that?”

“I’m fine. His name is Leonardo DiCaprio. He’s one of the richest men around here. He’s part of an old, powerful family.”

Zayn twisted slightly and managed to catch a quick glimpse of the bright purple coat Leonardo had been wearing. “Is he one of your friends?” he asked.

“Not exactly,” Liam murmured. “We’re cordial because of mutual respect. I hope he doesn’t actually call me.” One more deep breath was taken and then Liam said, “Let’s go see Mr. Higgins and get out of this crowd for a bit.” Liam kept Zayn close to his side as they pushed through the crowd. Liam kept a dangerous scowl on his face to keep prying eyes and curious questions away from him and his mate. They found the grocery store and ducked inside. It was silent, unusually so.  It made Liam’s skin crawl. He could remember a time when there was music playing in the corner and little giggles from Mr. Higgins’ mate as he ran up and down the aisles much to the amusement of both his alpha and the customers. Now it was quiet; too quiet.

Liam found Mr. Higgins behind the counter looking at his hands. They were clasped on the counter the older alpha was resting his arms on. He’d never been a man with a shining personality, but he had certainly never seemed so dark. Zayn felt a little out of place knowing that the alpha behind the counter had lost his mate not too long ago. He almost felt like he was mocking the man’s loss. “Didn’t Annie have a list?” Zayn whispered too nervous to break the silence completely. Liam fished around in his pockets and pulled out Annie’s list. “I’ll just start to get these.” Zayn grabbed a basket from a stand next to the door and began to walk up an aisle in his search. Liam watched him for a few moments before going over to the counter.

“Hello Paul,” he greeted quietly.

Mr. Higgins looked up, startled by the sudden voice. “Liam? When did you get here?”

“I just walked into the store a few seconds ago, but I got back yesterday.”

Paul nodded, his eyes going back to his hands. “Did you have a good trip?”

“It was excellent. You should come to dinner one night and I can tell you all about it.”

Paul frowned at the invitation. “I don’t know if I’ll be pleasant company.”

Liam reached out and squeezed one of Paul’s hands. “You’d be excellent company.”

Mr. Higgins didn’t believe Liam’s words, but he couldn’t help the smile that he did let cover his usual frown. Liam helped him with the financial aspect of the store, and they’d become close friends. “Who is he?” Paul asked with a blind nod towards the aisles of his store. Liam looked in the direction indicated, even though he already knew who Paul was talking about. He watched his mate’s head drift slowly towards him. Paul glanced up at Liam when the boy took longer to answer than it would normally take. Immediately, he recognized the expression on Liam’s face. He was sure it was the same one his family had teased him about many years ago. “He’s your mate, isn’t he?” Now Liam looked at his hands as he smiles and nods. Zayn took this moment to slowly approach with the list in one hand and the half-full basket in the other. Paul watched his slow approach. He was obviously timid, and he was obviously not from around here. Paul had no doubt Liam had a story about the omega before them.

The omega walked up to Liam and spoke in a voice barely above a whisper, “I can’t read this one.” He pointed to an item on the list.

Liam looked at the item he indicated. “It says talcum powder. I wonder what she needs that for.” Zayn stared at the paper as his lips moved softly over the new words. “Zayn,” Liam said to get the boy’s attention. “This is…” Liam realized he’d never properly introduced anyone to Paul before. The alpha behind the counter wasn’t hostile to Liam’s “radical” ideas, but Liam wasn’t positive where he stood on the current issues.

Paul seemed to get what Liam was silently debating, so he took care of it himself. “I’m Paul.” He extended his hand. Zayn glanced up at Liam nervously before shaking the alpha’s hand and shyly telling him, “I’m Zayn.” Liam dropped his arm around Zayn’s shoulders, squeezing gently to calm the slight trembles that always passed through the omega when introducing himself. Paul smiled at the two of them. It was nice to see someone happy. Most of the customers came in with smiles that were almost as sad as his were. Zayn, under Liam’s arm, looked truly happy. “I’m going to go get that...talcum powder,” the omega said quietly, slipping out of Liam’s grip.

“He’s stunning,” Paul told Liam when he was sure Zayn was out of earshot. “Where did you find him?”

“A hotel in a village just outside of Turkey.”

Zayn returned with his mostly-full basket. Both alphas smiled at him, bringing color to his cheeks. He slid the basket onto the edge of the counter. Paul pushed himself into a proper standing position and rang up Liam and Zayn’s items. He looked up mid-way through the basket and noticed Zayn’s eyes were curiously glancing at a jar Paul kept next to the register. “It’s peppermint,” he said. Zayn jumped and blushed at his words; he’d been caught staring. “Have you ever had it before?” Zayn shook his head back and forth slowly. Liam’s hand began to slowly rub Zayn’s back as Zayn’s hand curled into Liam’s chest. “Here.” Paul pulled the silver lid off the jar and handed Zayn a peppermint stick. Zayn took it shyly and inspected the candy.

“Thank you,” the omega breathed.

“You’re welcome. It’s candy, so you eat it, just so you know.” Paul went back to ringing them up while he carefully watched Zayn lick tentatively at the very top of the candy. The omega’s eyes widened as he experienced the sweet flavor for the first time. He offered some to Liam, almost vibrating with excited energy seeming to forget he was around a stranger. Zayn wasn’t the first shy omega Paul had met. Many of them couldn’t really look at him, the ideas of respect and alpha-omega relationship standards drilled into them since they were young. Paul knew absolutely nothing about where Zayn came from, but from what he observed -- Zayn looking up at Liam, Zayn implying he could read a lot of things except ‘talcum powder’ -- it seemed to be a little more “radical” (as the traditionalists would say) than here. He wasn’t on board with all the radical ideas, but he didn’t need the mate of an old friend calling him _Alpha Higgins_. From another omega, he’d like the title, but Zayn already had a special place in his heart. “It’s a total of five pieces.”

Liam passed Paul the silver coins and took the paper bag his purchases had been placed in. “Thank you, Paul. You should come to dinner tonight.”

Paul smiled again, a strange sensation after the frowns of the past few months. “I think I might just do that.”

Liam grinned. “Excellent. I have a lot of stories to tell you.” He took Zayn’s hand as he began to walk out of the store.

Zayn looked over his shoulder and smiled at Paul. “Thank you for the peppermint, Paul.”

“Of course,” Paul said, waving kindly at the omega.

Zayn began sucking on the candy again once the two of them were out of the grocery store. It made his mouth tingle and his breath even colder in his throat. He thought the cool sensation might be the cause of the hairs rising on the back of his neck, but the sensations just didn't’ seem to connect. Zayn looked over his shoulder to see if he could spot anyone looking at him. He couldn’t see anyone blatantly watching him. Liam began to talk, drawing Zayn’s attention away from the mysterious prickling sensation down the back of his neck. “Let’s go home, warm up with some hot chocolate, and start reading those fairy tales you picked out. Does that sound good angel?”

Zayn would have responded verbally, but he’d just started sucking on his candy again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts? Feelings? Concerns? Fears?
> 
> Anything you're thinking, I want to know.
> 
> Well, almost anything. ;)


	5. A Dinner Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to put this in last chapter's note, but I changed Mr. Green (grocery store owner) to Mr. Higgins. 
> 
> I've also decided on AlphaHarry and OmegaLouis like it was in the original.

Zayn stood nervously near the bedroom door while he watched Liam pull on a pair of dress pants. He’d been told by Annie that Liam wanted to see him right away. He was grateful that Liam hadn’t used Annie’s speaker system. Zayn would have been a bit terrified if Liam’s voice had started talking to him from the wall. Annie hadn’t told him what Liam wanted, so he was apprehensive. He stood wringing his hands while he waited. Liam smirked at the boy by the door in the window. “Don’t look so nervous, angel. It’s just me.”

Zayn ducked his head. “I know. I just...what is it you wanted?”

Liam started to rifle through the shirts hanging in his wardrobe. “I wanted to talk to you about dinner tonight. I invited Mr. Higgins, along with Dr. Horan, and my good friend Harry and his mate Louis. I know that it’s more than what we’d originally planned, but you said you prefered mass introductions. I promise it will be the last one.”

Zayn tugged on his lower lip. “It’s fine. Promise it’s the last one?”

“Yes. And I’ll hide you away if anyone else wants to come over.” Liam swept Zayn into the arms and began peppering the omega’s face and neck with tickling kisses. Zayn squirmed and giggled in his alpha’s arms.

“Liam! Liam!” Zayn shrieked as Liam dropped him lightly on the bed. The alpha crawled over the grinning omega and silenced the boy’s giggles with a kiss. “Liam, stop!” Zayn gasped.

“Why?” Liam asked with an actual pout.

Zayn frowned as he pushed at the lines in Liam’s forehead put there by his pout. “Don’t be upset,” Zayn murmured. Zayn pushed Liam’s mouth into a strange looking smile. Zayn and Liam both burst into laughter -- Zayn at Liam’s face; Liam at the sensation of Zayn forcing him to smile. Zayn lifted himself up so he could kiss Liam’s cheeks. “What should I wear to dinner?”

Liam held himself off of Zayn with his forearms. “I’d rather you wear nothing, but I don’t want everyone to see what’s only mine to see, and you certainly don’t want that, so how about you just dress up a little bit? It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. They’re just friends.”

“But first impressions are everything.” Zayn could almost hear his mother’s tone as she told him that over and over again with regards to when he’d be around guests.

“And you always make wonderful ones. You already know Mr. Higgins, so you’re really only meeting three other people.”

Zayn went to his own wardrobe, looking through what he’d brought with him. “We never did get those clothes,” he murmured as he picked out something to wear for dinner.

“You’re right. I guess I forgot. There were so many people there,” Liam remarked quietly. He missed the curious look Zayn sent him. The omega could sense Liam’s mind was suddenly elsewhere. “Did Leo say anything to you?” Liam asked.

“That alpha that I bumped into?” Zayn asked. Liam nodded. “No. He didn’t say anything that is worth mentioning.”

“But he did say something?” Liam prodded.

“Yes. He just asked me why I was alone. I couldn’t say anything I was so nervous.”

“I’m glad I got to you when I did then.”

Zayn pulled his shirt over his head. “Is everything okay, Liam?”

“Yes, darling, everything is just fine. There’s nothing you need to worry about.” Liam pressed a kiss into Zayn’s forehead to reassure his omega that everything was indeed fine, even though Leo seeing and touching and talking to his omega made him nauseous. It wasn’t that Leo was a bad man, but there were rumors that were atrocious; things older kids would try to scare younger ones with. Watching Zayn get dressed and thinking of the rumors made Liam shudder. _Everything is fine_ , he repeated to himself.

“Your collar isn’t folded down properly,” Zayn observed quietly. He reached up and gently fixed Liam’s collar. “That’s better.”

“You’ve not done up all your buttons,” Liam said as he reached forward to finish buttoning Zayn’s shirt for him. “I don’t particularly like covering you up,” Liam teased earning a pretty blush for his trouble. “I’ll just have to fix that later tonight.”

“Liam,” Zayn groaned as naughty ideas floated into his mind. “Don’t do that.”

“Don’t do what, angel?” Liam asked feigning innocence. “Don’t tell you that I think you’re the most gorgeous being on this planet and that I can’t wait to worship your body later tonight?” Zayn felt his body heat up with the vague implications that floated off of Liam’s lips. “Don’t tell you how delicious you taste and how breathtaking you are when I’ve got you spread for me?” Liam said, his voice husky as he stepped closer to Zayn. “Don’t tell you that I love to hear you scream my name, and I’d keep you like that forever if I could?” Zayn’s fists curled into Liam’s shirt as he began to sway with Liam’s ideas. Liam’s hands drifted down Zayn’s back and rested on his bum. He gave Zayn a gentle squeeze that had the boy whimpering. Liam stepped back, leaving Zayn a bit dazed. “C’mon, love, let’s go downstairs. The others should be here at any moment.”

Zayn’s mouth dropped open. That wasn’t fair! “Liam,” the omega whined as he scrambled to follow after the smug alpha.

 

* * *

 

“Louis, you’re going to have to sit still when Niall comes back in here.”

“I don’t need the shot, Harry. I’m perfectly fine. Aren’t I doing better than yesterday?”

“You’re doing loads better than yesterday, but he said you’re still sick and we’ve got Liam’s little dinner party tonight. I don’t want you getting everyone else sick.”

“Then why don’t you just leave me at home?”

“Because you wouldn’t stand for that. You’d throw a fit.”

“Damn right I would.”

Harry and Louis’ conversation was interrupted by the door opening. “You’ll have to sit still, Louis,” Niall told the omega sitting on the exam table. He carried a small syringe on a silver tray. Louis’ bravado plummeted at the sight of the needle. Harry watched with a rather amused look as the loud omega suddenly went silent. Niall began counting in his head...one...two…

Louis hopped off the table and curled into Harry’s lap. The alpha chuckled and wrapped his arms around Louis. Niall set the tray on the table with a smile of his own. “No one will ever know that The Louis Styles is terrified of needles,” he mused. “Maybe I’ll write an article about the fear of needles and include you as an example. How does that sound, Louis?”

Louis glared at Niall. “It doesn’t sound like a good idea if you want to keep all your body parts,” the omega grumbled. The alpha and the beta laughed. Louis frowned at both of them. He was serious. He had a reputation to protect.

“Alright, don’t give me that look,” Niall sighed with a fond smile. “I wouldn’t ever do that to you. Now hold on tight. This will only take a second.” He wiped down Louis’ arm with a disinfecting wipe. He pinched Louis’ arm before injecting the medicine into the boy. Louis squeezed his eyes shut and held his breath as Niall gave him the medicine. Niall placed some pressure on the injection site to stop what little bleeding there was before disposing of the used syringe and his gloves. “All done.” Louis released his held breath and sat up a little straighter in Harry’s lap.

“Can I get a lollipop?”

Niall turned to the counter behind him, reached into a jar, and produced a green lollipop. “I believe green is your favorite.”

Louis wrinkled his nose. “Absolutely not.”

“Then it’s a good thing that I didn’t pick a green one.” Louis looked down at the lollipop in Niall’s hand. Now it was red, Louis’ favorite.

“Thank you, Niall.” Louis happily unwrapped the candy and began sucking on it.

“So he’s good to go?” Harry asked.

“Yep. He’s doing much better than yesterday, but this medicine will make sure that he isn’t going to get the rest of us sick tonight.”

“Excellent,” Harry said as he shifted to get his wallet. He fished out a bill to pay Niall. Niall had tried to refuse Harry’s money in the early days. Harry was practically like a brother to him; it felt wrong to take his money. Harry, on the other hand, insisted on paying the full amount every single time. It wasn’t like he was strapped for cash or anything like that. Harry also knew that Niall didn’t always get paid in actual currency. Some of the doctor’s patients traded him clothes, food, or anything else they could if they couldn’t pay him in real money. Niall always took whatever they offered, never failing to tell them that whatever it was was enough. No one should be denied help because they couldn’t monetarily afford it. Harry could afford it, and he was going to pay. “Would you like a ride to Liam’s?” Harry asked as he and Louis got to their feet.

“Thank you, but I’m going to be walking with Mr. Higgins.”

“I can pick you both up if you want. It’s a long walk.”

Niall thought about Harry’s offer. “I’ll mention it to Mr. Higgins. I’m sure he’d appreciate the ride.”

“I’ll pick you up outside the grocery store around six then.” With that, Harry and Louis left the office, walked down the street, and climbed into Harry’s car parked behind the law enforcement office.

“What did Liam say Zayn was like again?” Louis asked as they drove out of town towards their house.

“He’s quiet and shy, so don’t go scaring him. Try to be a little calm when we meet him. He does think you’ll like him, though.”

“Perhaps I’ll find his loud side,” Louis said with a smile as they pulled around to the back of the house. Harry didn’t like having someone else drive his car, especially if Louis was riding with him. He’d like to be in total control of the vehicle if Louis was there.

“Maybe you will. Hurry up with getting ready for dinner. I didn’t give us a lot of time between now and when we’re going to be picking up Niall and Mr. Higgins.”

Louis bounded into the house while Harry calmly walked in. Harry’s butler, an aging man who’d been with his family for years, stood waiting for him. “Good afternoon, sir. I trust the appointment went well. Louis seems no worse for wear.”

“He always makes more of a fuss than absolutely necessary. Niall says that he should be fine. How are things around here? Did they survive my short absence, Mr. Barnes?”

The butler did manage to crack a small smile at Harry’s teasing. It’d taken the alpha a long time to get Mr. Barnes to stop calling him _Alpha Styles_. That was what his father liked to be called. It simply didn’t suit Harry. His first name, or _Mr. Styles_ if formality was absolutely called for, was fine. He’d take his butler’s _sir_ over _Alpha_ any day. Harry kept the formal title in front of his butler’s name because it was a force of habit, and the man had never told him, after he’d asked several times, that he wanted to change the name. “Everything survived. A letter did arrive from Judge Pitt regarding the Johnson case.”

“Took him long enough,” Harry grumbled. “Thank you, Mr. Barnes. I’ll look at it tomorrow. I doubt the letter contains anything that will make me a pleasant dinner guest. Louis and I will be leaving again shortly. You and the rest of the staff have the night off. Please make sure everyone takes the time off. I expect to see dirty dishes in the sink tomorrow morning.”

“Yes, sir,” Mr. Barnes said before taking his leave. Harry knew he wouldn’t actually find dirty dishes in the sink tomorrow morning, though he did want to. The kitchen staff were some of the most stubborn people Harry had ever met, and they’d been trained under his dad to work until everything was spotless and prepared for the next day. They began work earlier than everyone else and stayed long after the others had gone to bed. It was ingrained in them. That kind of training was nearly impossible to undo. Harry hoped Mr. Barnes would be able to get them to leave a little earlier tonight.

Harry climbed the stairs and walked down to the room he shared with Louis. The sight that greeted him had him frozen in the doorway. Louis was standing in front of their bed with his hands on his hips as he stared with pursed lips at the clothes laid out over the quilt his mother had given them a few years ago. The omega was completely naked, and Harry’s body started to respond accordingly. “Lou,” he croaked. “What are you doing?”

“I’m trying to figure out what I’m going to wear,” Louis mumbled, his attention not fully on Harry or his question.

“Why are you naked?”

“It makes it easier to try on different things.” He said it as if the answer was completely obvious.

Harry swallowed as he stepped into the room making sure the door closed behind him. This was sight solely for him. “I think you could have kept some clothing on.”

Louis finally graced him with a smirk thrown over his shoulder. “And miss an opportunity to drive you crazy? No, thank you.”

Harry wrapped an arm around Louis’ warm waist. “You drive me crazy whether you’re naked or not. It just so happens that the former gets me crazy a little faster.”

Louis reached behind himself to wrap an arm loosely around Harry’s neck. “That’s a mutual feeling.”

“If we had more time, I’d take you apart right here on top of all of your clothes.”

“We’ve done it in less time before,” Louis whispered with a teasing smile and fluttering eyelashes.

“But you’ve not had to be in public shortly afterwards before.”

“You have, though, and you’re hardly discreet with your smug little smile and my scent clinging to you more than it usually does.”

Harry pinched Louis’ bum causing the omega to squeak indignantly. “Get dressed, pumpkin. Like I said earlier, we don’t have a lot of time.”

Louis rubbed spot Harry pinched with a pout as he turned away from Harry and back to his clothes. He really didn’t need to try anything on; he’d decided what he wanted to wear while they’d been waiting for Niall to call them back. He’d just wanted to see how Harry would react to coming in and finding him completely naked. It certainly hadn’t been the first time it happened, but Harry’s reactions were always priceless. Now, thought, with Harry insisting they didn’t have time for anything, he was more than a little frustrated. He was happy Harry wasn’t going to ruin all of his clothes, but he really wanted Harry to ruin all of his clothes. “You’re the worst,” Louis groaned as he tried to get the mental images out of his head. “And don’t say _That’s not what you said last night_ because we didn’t even do anything last night.”

Harry smirked as he buttoned up his shirt. “I wasn’t going to say anything like that.”

“Mmhmm,” Louis hummed as he began to pull his clothes on.

 

* * *

 

Zayn pressed himself into Liam’s side as voices could be heard approaching the door. He wasn’t ready for this. There’d been so many introductions made in just the past day. Liam was right; he was happy they were getting all of these first meetings out of the way, but this might be a little too much. Maybe he’d back out. Just as Zayn reached this decision, Liam started stroking his back. “Remember that they’ll love you,” Liam said quietly. Even though Zayn had heard the approaching voices, the doorbell chime still made him jump. Liam pulled open the door while keeping an arm around Zayn’s waist. All four of their guests were on the other side of the door. Zayn thought he might faint. He’d hoped to have at least a minute or two between arrivals. Paul came in first, quietly greeting both Zayn and Liam. A blonde beta was just behind him with a happy smile and slightly flushed cheeks either from the cold or a good laugh whose mirth was still hanging around him. “Niall, it’s so good to see you,” Liam said letting go of Zayn to give his friend a hug. Niall returned his sentiment with an Irish accent Zayn had ever heard once before. “Zayn.” The omega looked up from his feet as he name was said. “Zayn, this is Niall. He’s the town’s doctor.” Zayn waved shyly, reaching for Liam’s hand.

Niall grinned at Zayn. “Do you have something behind your ear, Zayn?” he asked.

Zayn’s brow furrowed and he reached behind his ear. He didn’t feel anything. What an odd question to ask someone. Niall seemed to be waiting for an answer, so Zayn simply shook his head. His voice hadn’t warmed up to the strangers yet. “Are you sure?” Niall asked. Zayn nodded, still lost. Niall glanced at Liam before reaching behind the ear Zayn had check. “I’m surprised you missed this,” he said once he drew his hand away with half a peppermint stick in it. Zayn’s mouth dropped open. He looked up at Niall and self-consciously touched behind his ear. “I don’t think the other half is back there,” Niall said. “That one,” he pointed to a shorter boy who was licking his lips, “managed to take it. But this is all yours.”

“Thank you,” Zayn breathed taking the candy from Niall.

Liam drew the boy’s attention away from the candy in his hand and focused him on the other two guests. “Zayn, this is my friend Harry and his mate Louis.” Zayn regarded the alpha and the omega carefully. Harry smiled at him; Zayn found himself instantly comforted by the gesture. Louis was suddenly in Zayn’s face. Zayn’s blood rushed from his head, drowning out Harry’s quiet reprimand. Liam squeezed Zayn’s hand and pulled him closer to his side and further from Louis. Louis slowly circled the pair while thoughtfully rubbing his chin. “I approve,” he declared once his intense scrutiny was over. Zayn hid his face against Liam’s side. At least Louis’ approval wasn’t something he’d need to be worried about. “Have you ever bowled, Zayn?” Louis asked.

“Bowled?” Zayn repeated, slightly shifting from Liam to give the omega his attention.

“I’ll take that as a no then. C’mon, I’ll try to teach you a bit before dinner. Liam likes to bowl after dinner and he and Harry always beat me and Niall. Maybe if you’re on our team we won’t be able to lose.” And then Louis was dragging Zayn away from Liam and towards the game room. Zayn threw a slightly worried look at Liam who just gave him a smile and a thumbs up. Zayn nodded and then disappeared into the other room with Louis.

“I swear I told him to be a bit calmer,” Harry said with a sigh that bordered embarrassed and amused.

The other three just smiled and shook their heads. Calm wasn’t exactly a word that immediately came to mind when talking about Louis.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What are your thoughts???


	6. Counting to Ten

Annie knocked softly on the office door before she took Liam’s breakfast into him. The alpha looked up with a grim face, yet he managed a smile when he saw his housekeeper. “You’re a godsend, Annie. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“You’d have a different housekeeper who’d you think was a godsend,” Annie said with a smile.

“They’d probably only be as half as good as you are,” Liam said before he took a sip of coffee. “I’m not looking forward to today’s meeting.” Liam frowned at the papers spread over his desk. “Is Zayn up yet?”

“I don’t think so. I can go check on him if you’d like.”

“No, thank you, though. I need a break from all of this. It’s going to be a long day.” Liam rose from his desk with a tired groan. Today he was meeting with a rather new client. They were a young couple just starting out, and they didn’t seem to fully grasp their rather...bleak financial predicament. It led to arguments between the couple and then barely cordial conversation between Liam and the couple. Their meetings lasted hours, draining Liam of his energy and patience. He’d stockpile time with Zayn before the couple showed up today. He found the omega where he’d left him this morning: curled on his side his arm extended over the space Liam had occupied. Liam knelt by Zayn’s side. “Zayn, angel, wake up.” He got some incoherent mumbling in response. “C’mon, Z. I want to spend some time with you before I have to lock myself in my office.”

This time Zayn rolled over and blinked at him. “What time is it?” the boy grumbled.

“It’s time for you to get up.”

“Or you could come back to bed,” Zayn murmured.

Liam was tempted to do just that, but he unfortunately had business to attend to. “I can’t do that. I wish I could, but I can’t. Would you like me to send Annie up with breakfast?”

Zayn slung his arm over his eyes as he thought. He sighed heavily. “I think I’ll eat in the library. I’ll be in there most of the day. I’ll be closer to you.” Zayn pushed the covers off of himself and sat up with a lazy stretch. Liam’s eyes sought out the marks he’d left on his boy last night, proud to see the dark marks standing out proudly against Zayn’s skin. Zayn pulled his own pair of pants on before he reached for the shirt Liam had worn yesterday. “Is it okay if I wear this?” he asked Liam hopefully.

Liam swallowed around his suddenly dry mouth at the thought. “Of course, angel.”

The shirt practically swallowed Zayn. Liam had never seen anything more beautiful in his entire life. “Will you sit with me in my office until my client arrives?”

Zayn wrinkled his nose at that. “Why would you even ask that? I thought that was the plan to begin with.”

Shirt on, Zayn followed Liam down the stairs and into his office. Liam took a seat, pulling Zayn into his lap. “Feel free to eat something. Annie always gives me too much food. Says I’m too skinny.”

Zayn frowned as he picked up a piece of toast “You’re not too skinny.”

“Knew you’d see things my way.”

Zayn hummed happily as he chewed. “What are you working on?”

“A couple’s financial future basically. I’m helping them organize and plan how they’ll use their money on big things like a house.” Liam sighed as he looked at yet another piece of paper. “It’s always a bit of a struggle with them. They don’t fully grasp the situation they managed to get into.”

The door opened and Annie popped her head in. “They’re here, Liam.”

The alpha groaned and buried his hair in his mate’s hair. “Maybe today will go better than I expect. Up you go, angel.”

Zayn grabbed another piece of toast as he got to his feet. “I’ll just be in the library,” Zayn said quietly. Liam pecked Zayn’s lips before letting him go to Annie.

The housekeeper put her arm around Zayn’s shoulders. “C’mon sweetie. Let’s get you some breakfast and a warm blanket. It’s just getting colder outside, and the library gets a little drafty sometimes. What do you want for breakfast today, Mr. Payne?”

“Surprise me,” Zayn said quietly with a nervous twist in his stomach.

Annie gave him a funny look. “I never pinned you as a kid who liked surprises.”

Zayn gulped. “I don’t really.”

The housekeeper chuckled and squeezed his shoulders in a half-hug. “Then why don’t you go get settled in the library -- don’t forget that blanket -- and I’ll bring you your usual breakfast.” She kissed his hair and went off to the kitchen. Zayn went into the library where a stack of books was waiting for him, along with a blanket, were waiting for him on his favorite couch. It looked out towards the back porch, and Zayn had pushed the curtains over the french doors to the side so that he could see out of the windows. Liam had found some of the easier books in the library for Zayn to read on days like these when Liam couldn’t be with him. He liked the books, but he’d like them more if Liam was with him. That was probably something he’d have to get over now that Liam was back to working full time. Zayn pulled the blanket over his legs just as Annie came in with breakfast, exactly what she made Liam. “Do you need anything else?” she asked.

Zayn shook his head. “No, thank you, Annie.”

“Of course, sugar. You know where to find me.” She left him in the library to eat and read. Zayn pulled the top book off of his stack as he ate a forkful of eggs. He moaned to himself as he ate; Annie was an amazing cook. Her food rivaled his mother’s, and he never thought he’d ever find anyone who could come remotely close to his mother’s cooking. He ate quickly, not wanting to waste time not eating the delicious food. He ended up giving himself hiccups he ate so fast. Zayn groaned. He hated hiccups. They always made him bounce in his seat, so he tried to take deep breaths like his father taught him. His inhales kept getting interrupted, though, so he gave up, deciding he’d let them pass on their own. He really needed to work on eating slower.

A sudden rattle startled Zayn. (It scared him enough to stop his hiccups.) The omega held his page as he looked around himself. Nothing seemed out of place, nor could Zayn see any new person. He did notice that the french doors were now unlocked. Perhaps it was a staff member. They were shockingly quiet. Zayn had been accidentally scared by more than one of them. Or maybe it’d been accidentally left unlocked last night and the wind rattled them. Zayn studied the trees outside. They were as still as could be. Had he missed a sudden gust of wind? Wouldn’t he have heard it? Zayn felt a swell of anxiety rise in his chest. He wanted to go to Liam, have his alpha check everything out, but that would be ridiculous, and it was probably nothing, so there was no reason to disturb Liam’s meeting. Still, Zayn would probably feel better if those doors were locked. He folded the corner of the book down to hold his place before he got off the couch. He moved carefully towards the door, wary of anything surprising. The omega reached the doors without a problem. He pressed his face against the glass trying to see anything out of ordinary on the porch. Zayn frowned. He didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Satisfied, and chastising himself for being so dramatic, Zayn locked the doors and turned.

Zayn opened his mouth to scream, but the sound of distress was cut off by a large hand covering his mouth. Before him was a tall man with thick muscles bulging under his dingy shirt. His hair looked greasy pulled back in a short ponytail. His eyes were black. Zayn had never seen such dark eyes. The man brought a finger to his lips, an indication that he wanted Zayn to remain silent. At this point, Zayn wasn’t sure he could make a sound. The man pulled his hand away, only for Zayn to be gagged by a second person who suddenly appeared behind him. The omega’s mind reeled, and his body began to fight back. He jerked away from the gag and tried to duck around the man with the ponytail, but the intruder was quicker than Zayn’s fear addled brain had thought he would be. He wrapped an arm around the omega who began to kick as he was dragged backwards towards the door. Ponytail’s other hand came and wrapped itself around Zayn’s mouth as the boy readied to actually scream this time. “Be quiet and be still.” Zayn froze. That was the Alpha Voice. Every alpha had the ability to change the timber of their voice just so, and this change forced the party at the other end of the statement to comply regardless of the situation. Most alphas kept the Alpha Voice as an absolute last resort, and most alphas would never dream of using their Voice on someone else’s mate. Omegas, a naturally submissive group, were most susceptible to the Alpha Voice. Betas would do whatever was asked of in the Alpha Voice, but could muster a bit more resistance if the request was inappropriate. So, being an omega, Zayn was forced to do what the man with the ponytail commanded him. The man’s partner gagged Zayn and bound his hands behind his back as his partner bound his feet. Zayn’s eyes pricked with tears. He wanted Liam to come and check on him. He wanted Annie to come and get his dirty dishes from breakfast. He wanted a member of the staff to walk across the back porch. He wanted someone to see him being taken.

Zayn began sobbing when the man with the ponytail hoisted him over his shoulder while his partner opened the doors and checked that the coast was clear. The gardeners were working in the front yard today; no one was out back. The gag was thick in Zayn’s mouth, and made it hard to breath as sobs and panic clogged his lungs. Mid-sob, Zayn yelped as the man with the ponytail pinched his leg saying, “I thought I told you to be quiet.”

_You’re a strong person, Zayn. You can do whatever you want in this world. You just have to figure out what makes you happiest and do it._

Liam’s words floated through Zayn’s mind as he was being carried away. He’d been told to be still, but that wouldn’t make him happy. What would make him happy right now? Though every instinct he had was telling him to be still like the alpha wanted, Zayn pushed through it and began to squirm as violently as he could. He managed to kick his knees into the man’s ribs with more than he thought would be possible. The man with the ponytail cried out and dropped the omega. Zayn’s arms screamed in pain when he fell on them funny and the breath got knocked out of him, but he tried to recover quickly and wiggle away. The man’s partner fell on top of him, smacking Zayn so hard the boy saw stars. The partner was pulled away and Zayn was picked up again. “We don’t have time for that right now.” The man with the ponytail picked Zayn up again and they were walking away again. “Be still.” Zayn went limp in the man’s arm as a fresh wave of tears fell from his eyes. They walked through the trees until they reached a clearing where a shiny blue car waited for them. Zayn was dumped on the floor in the back of the car while the man with ponytail and his partner went to the front.

“There’s no need for a such a pretty thing like you to cry. If you behave, you’ll be fine.”

Zayn’s body went cold and his tears froze on his cheeks. He recognized that voice. Terror trembling through him, Zayn twisted to look at the alpha that was sitting in the seat of the car. His eyes widened as the alpha looked him over. “Did they hit you, kitten?” the man asked, tilting Zayn’s chin so he could look at the fading red handprint left behind by the partner. “At least it won’t last.” The man’s fingers lingered on Zayn’s jaw before dragging down his throat and pulling his shirt over to look at the place where his neck met his shoulder. “A shame he marked you already. You won’t catch as high of a price, but with a face like that, it’ll be high enough.” Zayn shrank away from the alpha when the invasive touch was removed. He closed his eyes and began counting to ten. Maybe when he opened his eyes this would all be some horrendous nightmare and he’d be safe and warm next to Liam.

 

* * *

 

Liam’s skin itched; it crawled and burned with invisible flames. His mind felt like it was being tugged in six different directions. The couple sitting across from him was bickering, as per usual, about something exceedingly inane. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. He counted to ten, trying to calm himself down, but suddenly a bolt of panic struck him so hard that it took his breath away. Liam’s eyes snapped open. He was out of his seat and running for the door without a word to the now ( _finally_ ) silent couple. He flung open the door and bolted for the library. Bursting through the doors, he searched wildly for Zayn. The omega wasn’t on his favorite couch, but his breakfast was eaten, the empty dishes sitting on the floor just next to the couch. His book was closed on top of the blanket he’d no doubt been wrapped in to keep warm. “Zayn?” Liam called. Nothing; all he got in return was silence. “Zayn?” Liam tried again. He sniffed the air. Zayn’s scent was still there, but it was laced with panic. Liam saw nothing immediately out of place, but he did notice that the back doors were unlocked. Maybe the omega was on the back porch and he was panicking because one of the staff members was trying to chat with them. Zayn was good at hiding how he was still a little nervous around everyone but Annie. The porch was empty, and as the alpha stepped outside, his body was rocked by a new sensation: utter terror. “Zayn!” he shouted. He began running, smelling Zayn’s panicked scent across the back yard and into the trees. “Zayn!” Liam kept running, the level of terror increasing. He barreled into a clearing and saw tire tracks tearing through the grass. Liam couldn’t smell Zayn anymore, and absolute dread filled him. He pushed himself faster, following the tracks until he reached an old back road with tire tracks going in both directions. He looked left and he looked right. His fingers twisted into his hair as he dropped to his knees, screaming in fear, frustration, loss. “Zayn! Zayn! Zayn!” Liam pulled his hair harder, too overwhelmed to do something more productive. Zayn was gone. Someone took him. Who took his angel?

Liam got to his feet and raced back to the house. He startled Annie when he sprinted through the yard. She’d gone out on the porch to look for him when the couple had come asking for an explanation for Liam’s sudden disappearance. Liam grabbed her arms too tightly and demanded, his Alpha Voice slip out, “Have you seen Zayn?” Annie’s eyes widened. She shook her head no. Liam released her and went back into the library. He could smell Zayn, but he couldn’t smell anyone else. Annie came in, still confused but realizing something was terribly wrong. Liam slammed the doors closed behind her. Perhaps the outside air was preventing him from smelling whoever took his boy. “Do you smell anything weird?” Liam asked. Maybe his panic was disrupting his senses.

Annie breathed in the air around her, but she caught nothing out of the ordinary. “I don’t smell anything, Liam. What’s going on?”

“Zayn’s gone. I don’t know where. I followed his scent out of here and all the way to those old roads at the edge of the property. I don’t know where he went after that. There were tire tracks going both ways.” Liam began pulling his hair again. “I promised him I’d always protect him. I promised his parents I’d take care of him. I should have kept him in the office with me. He’d be safe if he’d never left my side. Where is he? Who took him? Who could possible have taken him?”

Annie placed as comforting a hand as she could on Liam’s arm. “Call Harry,” she said.

“What?” Liam croaked.

“Call Harry,” Annie repeated firmly. “Harry can help you. Call Harry, Liam. That’s how you can help Zayn right now. Call Harry.”

Liam nodded, dashing to his office. The couple were no longer there. Annie might have moved them to the parlor to wait for Liam to come back, but the alpha couldn’t care less. He was helping his mate. Liam froze at that thought. _His mate_ , two words that played over and over again in his head at a deafening volume. He’d failed his mate. He couldn’t breathe. Liam looked down at the phone in his hand. Why did he have the phone in his hand? _Call Harry_. Liam dialled Harry’s number, the clicks of the dial grating on each of his electrified nerves.

 

* * *

 

“I win!” Louis declared as Harry missed his badminton serve...again.

Harry crossed his arms and pouted. “That wasn’t fair. I wasn’t ready.”

“Mr. Styles,” Mr. Barnes said, eyes wild and face pale. “Liam Payne is on the phone. He’s quite distraught.” Harry frowned, putting his racquet down and followed his butler upstairs. “I didn’t want to say anything in front of Louis, sir, but Liam said it had something to do with Zayn. He doesn’t sound quite right, sir.” Harry’s frown deepened and his pace quickened.

Mr. Barnes left him at his office. Harry picked up the phone lying on his desk. “Liam?”

“Harry, someone took him. Someone took him. I followed the tracks all the way to that road that’s behind my house. Why didn’t he call for me? He’s gone. I don’t know what to do. He’s gone.”

Harry’s grip on the phone as he listened to Liam’s fragmented thoughts come across the call. “Liam, are you saying that--”

“Zayn got taken! I wasn’t there for him. Harry, you have to help me! You have to help Zayn. He’s so scared; he’s so, so scared.”

“I’ll be over as soon as I can.” He hung up the phone and gathered a few necessary things from his desk drawer. He slung his bag over his shoulder and stopped short when he saw Louis in the doorway.

“What’s going on?” Louis asked.

Harry debated whether or not to tell Louis. He didn’t want to worry his omega, but by the looks of it, Louis was already worrying. “Zayn is missing.”

Louis’ hands covered his mouth as he gasped. Harry crossed quickly to his mate. “I’m going to go to Liam’s and see what I can find out. I’m assuming you want to come with me.” Louis nodded against Harry’s chest. “C’mon.” The two of them left the house and got into the car Mr. Barnes had brought around. Harry pressed the gas pedal almost to the floor, peeling around his driveway and down the road. He’d been a law enforcer for almost three years now. The most exciting thing he’d ever had to deal with (if one could use exciting as an adjective for crime) was a case of shoplifting. He’d gotten into law enforcement a year too late for the kids and their firework scare. He was happy that most days at the office were slow; it meant he and his mate lived in a safe place. Now his heart was pounding, his thoughts were racing, and his palms were sweating. He prayed that it was nothing more than Zayn getting lost on Liam’s expansive property and Liam was too emotionally to realize that Zayn was somewhere close by. That thought -- however comforting it was -- was complete bullshit and Harry knew that. Liam wasn’t one to do anything premature. If he called Harry, Zayn was definitely gone. Louis wasn’t saying anything. He was just biting his nails and staring out the window as Harry drove as quickly as he could. Tentatively, the omega put his hand on his alpha’s thigh, both giving and taking comfort.

“Everything is going to work out fine,” he said quietly. Harry wasn’t sure Louis believed his own words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts?


	7. They're Just Rumors, Right?

Harry slammed on the brake, sending gravel flying as the car came to a halt in front of Liam’s house. He and Louis got out of the car quickly, practically sprinting to the opening door. Annie stood just to the side of the door. Her eyes were red, and Harry could see more tears pooling in her eyes as he and Louis approached. Harry grabbed Louis’ arm to stop the boy before they climbed the stoop. “Louis,” he said quietly. “I want you to go with Annie to the kitchen and talk to her about what’s happened. Take note of anything important okay.” Harry handed Louis a pencil and a small pad of paper.

Louis just nodded and led the way up the stairs. Annie wrapped Louis in a hug, rubbing his hair and cooing in his ear. She detached herself from Louis and greeted Harry. Harry wrapped his arms around the trembling beta and rocked her gently from side to side. “We’re going to find him, Annie.”

Annie clutched the back of Harry’s shirt. “I’ve never seen him so scared, Harry. He’s so scared. I don’t know what to do.”

Harry stepped away from her slightly so that he could look her in the eyes. “Right now, I’d like you to go with Louis to the kitchen, or wherever you’d be most comfortable, and tell him about your day today. No detail should be left out. He’ll make a note about anything that he thinks is important.”

Annie nodded. “Liam is in the library. I’ll make a pot of tea.” She smoothed her skirt, completely separating herself from Harry. “Yes, tea sounds lovely.” She was talking to herself at his point, so Louis followed her to the kitchen.

Harry squared his shoulders and went down the hall to the library. The door was open so Harry didn’t have a second to fully prepare himself for the scene waiting for him. Liam was sitting on a couch with a book open to a page with the corner folded down and a blanket pressed to his face. He was hunched over, almost frail looking in the bleak afternoon light. “Liam,” Harry breathed.

The alpha’s head snapped up to meet his best friend’s eyes. “Harry.” Liam’s voice cracked and he looked down again as tears slid down his cheek and dripped onto the page of the book. Harry placed his bag in an empty chair and pulled out his own notepad and another pencil. Quietly, he began to walk around the room, making a note here and there. He didn’t catch any strange smells. Had Zayn really just walked out and gotten himself lost? Or had the scents, most likely only in the room for a brief period of time, already disappeared?

“If you’re trying to pick up any strange scents, it won’t work. There weren’t any here,” Liam said, his voice flat, matter-of-fact.

Harry jotted that down. _No unknown scents present at time of discovery._ “Did you notice anything strange when you came in here the first time?” Harry asked.

“Those doors were unlocked,” Liam said. “They’re almost never unlocked. I thought Zayn had just stepped out onto the back porch and was panicking because one of the staff members was talking to him. He’s still nervous around them.”

“What do you mean by almost never? Does your staff ever use these doors?”

“Only Annie, Zayn, and I use those doors.”

Harry nodded, making another note. _Library doors unlocked._ “Is there any other way to get in here?”

“No. Just those doors and the one in the hallway. Annie wouldn’t have let anyone strange in the house.” Liam gasped. “You don’t think she’s involved do you?”

 _Two entrances. Hallway and back porch. Windows inaccessible from ground. I am unable to detect any scents._  “I don’t think she’s involved,” Harry said. “Louis’ talking to her right now, but that’s just for more information about today. She had nothing to do with it.” Harry prided himself on his ability to read people, his ability to tell a truth from a lie, an act from sincerity. Annie was not involved. Harry stepped out on the porch to have a quick look around before returning to the library. He took a seat across from Liam. His friend looked up at him with bloodshot eyes and tear stained cheeks. His hands were shaking, the book nearly vibrating in his hands.

“I don’t know where he stopped on this page,” Liam said looking down at the book in his hands. “I just know that he stopped here. What made him stop?”

“Liam,” Harry said, taking the book slowly from his friend’s hands. “I need you to talk to me. Can you go through your day? Tell me everything. No detail is unimportant.”

“Right, right,” Liam said, scrubbing his face with his hands and taking a shaky breath. “I had a client coming today, so I was up early to get ready for that, and I just left Zayn asleep upstairs. Annie brought me my breakfast. I went up to check on Zayn and see if he’d come sit with me while I waited for my client to arrive. He got dressed and came and sat with me in the office. I sent him off with Annie to the library when my client arrived. I’m guessing Annie brought him his breakfast, and he was just reading on the couch. I don’t know what happened. I was listening to my clients bickering...it must have just been an hour or so later...and my skin started crawling, and then I felt Zayn start to panic. I ran from my office to the library, but couldn’t find Zayn anywhere. Then I followed his scent all the way to this clearing. I lost it there, but saw tire tracks, and I followed those all the way to this road that’s on the edge of my property. I didn't’ know which way the car had gone because there were no fresh tracks, and what tracks were there went in both directions. I came back here to see if I could identify any weird scents, but there was nothing. Annie couldn't smell anything either.”

 _Kidnapping occurred around mid-morning. Tire tracks to dirt road._  Harry frowned and circled his last note several times. How could someone not leave a scent behind? It was impossible to fully mask your scent. It could be mixed with or diminished by another’s scent. Harry always liked when Louis wore some of his clothes because then the omega smelled more like Harry. Mates often smelled very similar after being together for years. Perhaps Niall would know of something that would totally mask someone’s scent. “I’d like to see these tracks,” Harry said. “Could you take me there?”

Liam nodded, rising to his feet and walking to the back doors. He should probably put a coat on since it was cold, but he didn’t really feel cold. He was more numb than anything else. He took Harry along the same path he’d run when he first discovered Zayn was missing. Harry made notes about his surroundings as they went. _Trees offer cover and sound absorption. Did anyone hear anything?_ They arrived in the clearing. Liam pointed to the tracks. Together, they went to the dirt road. Harry looked both ways. “Do you know where this road goes?” he asked Liam.

It’d been so long since Liam had even walked to the road, longer still since he’d actually used it. “I think just to the other side of the mountains that way, and towards the city the other way. I don’t know if it actually makes it to the city. What if it does? Zayn can’t handle a city. Oh God.” Liam clutched his head in his hands. “The last thing I felt from him was complete terror. He’s so scared, and I don’t know where he is.”

Harry pocketed his notepad and pencil before hugging Liam. “I’m going to find him, Li. I’m going to find him and bring him back. Then I’m going to take the son of a bitch who took him down.” They embraced for a little longer until Harry noticed that Liam was shivering. “I’ve got a couple more questions, but you can answer those on the way back to the house. I think Annie was going to make everyone some tea.”

“What other questions do you have for me?” Liam asked as they started walking back to the house.

“Can you think of anyone that would want to hurt you or Zayn?” Harry inquired.

“I can’t think of anyone who’d want to hurt Zayn. He doesn’t actually know that many people here. I’ve had a couple of disgruntled clients, but they’ve never sent me any threats or anything. Put it this way, I never thought either of us…” Liam’s brow furrowed as his words died on his tongue.

“You never thought either of you were what?” Harry pressed.”

“We went to the market last week. I’d left Zayn at the candle stand to say hello to my boss. Leo DiCaprio ended up talking to him. You don’t think? They’re just rumors, right?”

 _Talked with Leo DiCaprio last week._ “There’s a bit of truth behind every rumor,” Harry said solemnly.

Liam, pale and eyes wide, looked at Harry. They were horrible rumors, and the possibility that there was a bit of truth behind them and that Zayn was possibly with Leonardo made him sick to his stomach. “I think I’m going to be sick,” Liam muttered before he turned around and emptied his stomach behind a bush. Harry rubbed his back and kept an arm around him, supporting his friend back to the house.

Leonardo DiCaprio, known around town as either Alpha DiCaprio or Leo, was now the head of one of the oldest families in town. He lived in a colossal mansion almost an hour’s drive from town. His father was once the leader of the town, and his grandfather had been one of the most prominent judges among the their town and their two neighboring towns. Leonardo’s mother had been a proud woman whose ego had been inflated by money and power. Leonardo was almost the spitting image of his father with a personality that was a carbon copy of his mother’s personality. Rumors had begun circulating in the last months of his father’s administration. It started small: physical abuse at home, strict traditionalist values still in practice even though they were grossly outdated, keeping company with people of somewhat questionable character. In the last weeks of his father’s administration, the rumors became a little more bizarre: an entire underground dungeon to hold “valuables”, suspicious disappearances in neighboring towns where a man matching one of Leonardo’s father’s guards seemed to be placed at the scene by several witnesses, invitations to “parties” that were really auctions where the merchandise was human. The stories had simply gotten more horrific as the years went by and Leonardo inherited the property on his father’s death and became somewhat of a mysterious recluse who associated with a select number and group of people. Harry tried not to listen to the stories that were rehashed at dinner parties in hushed whispers and nervous, darting glances. He liked to see the best in everyone, and there was no true evidence supporting any of the stories. He believed that every rumor held a bit of truth, he just had to find the truth regarding Leonardo DiCaprio.

When the two of them got back to the library, Annie and Louis were there with a cup of tea each and the pot still steaming on the low table in front of them. Annie wordlessly filled a glass and passed it to Liam as the alpha sank onto the couch Zayn had been sitting on. Harry poured himself a cup, waving away Annie’s hand as she went to pour him one. The four of them sat in silence, thinking and going over the day’s events. Harry had three objectives:

  1. Ask Niall if there was anything that could completely mask someone’s natural scent.

  2. Figure out where the rumors originated. If possible, talk to the source.

  3. Talk to Leonardo about the rumors.




With that information, Harry could determine if this possible lead would go anywhere. If it didn’t look good, he’d go back to square one and take another path. He also wanted to see where that road led. He’d go to the office and ask for some help with that. He’d need two people so that they could drive in both directions and see if there was anything notable. Harry also wanted to talk with the head of Primary Crime. Kidnapping, murder, theft of valuables valued over 1,000 silver pieces, and other major crimes fell under the jurisdiction of Primary Crime. Harry worked mostly in Secondary Crime, most of his days either quiet or spent settling small disputes or minor crimes like vandalism or shoplifting. Harry wanted to keep this quiet, and taking it to the head of Primary Crime himself would ensure that as few people knew about it as possible. If the rest of the town knew about it, things could get crazy. People may panic, or take matters into their own hands. Liam was a respected member of the community. Some might take an attack against him as an attack on the community at large. “I’m going to go to the office,” Harry said breaking the silence. “I’m going to talk to some people and get this thing started. Are you going to be okay?” Harry posed his question to both Annie and Liam.

Annie blinked down at her tea while Liam nodded. “Is there anything Annie or I could be doing to help you?” Liam asked.

“You’ve already helped a lot,” Harry told him. “If you think of anything else, whether it be from today, a few days ago, or months ago, let me know. I’ll come and check on you later and when I know something, you’ll know something. I’m going to keep this quiet for now.”

“Good, good,” Liam said.

“We’re going to find him,” Harry told them once more before he and Louis made their exit. They didn’t talk until they got into the car. “Did Annie have anything interesting to say?”

Louis shook his head as he opened his notepad. “The only thing that seemed to matter was that today was the day that the gardening staff was working out front, so no one would see anything happening in the back. She and the rest of the staff were in the kitchen going over schedules when one of the staff members came in and told her that Liam had left his meeting rather abruptly.”

“Is today usually a day when the gardening staff works in the front?” Harry asked, his mind starting to think of theories.

“No. She said it was just decided last night that they would because the cold snap had killed a lot of the flowers and they didn’t want the front of the house to look bad. She said they were actually supposed to be doing a few things out back today.” Louis frowned at his notes. Harry had an idea of where his omega’s mind was going. “Harry, you don’t think one of the staff members had something to do with this do you?”

“That’s what I was just thinking,” Harry said taking Louis’ hand. “We’ll keep that to ourselves. I don’t want Liam distrusting the entirety of his staff if it’s just one person.”

Louis nodded. “Annie didn’t mention any new additions to the staff, though.”

“She might not have thought it was important. I’ll ask her about it. I don’t remember Liam mentioning a new staff member, but he’s been gone so long. It may have happened when he was away.” Harry’s lips settled into a flat line as he drove. He doubted Liam would have approved a new staff member without being able to interview him in person, but Liam had known he would be gone a long time, so maybe he’d let Annie make the decision on her own. Thoughts of disloyal staff members kept them silent as they drove to the law enforcement office. “I want you to stay at my desk, okay, Lou? I’m going to talk to Ms. Harmon about this to see what she would do and what help she can offer. Remember not a word of this to anyone. We’re just here to pick up some paperwork I forgot for my last case.” Louis nodded and followed Harry into the building. Inside was relatively quiet, a buzz of conversation hovering in the air. Law enforcer’s sat at desks either talking into their phones or to each other. Others read through files or looked at their notes for what was probably the hundredth time that day. Louis noticed Judge Pitt’s secretary talking with a couple law enforcers near the stairs that led to the judge’s office on the second level. He’d talked to the secretary a handful of times before. She was very sweet with a kind smile and heart, but seemed to lack in the intelligence factor. Still, she’d laugh along with everyone else as Louis told stories, even if she didn't’ quite get the joke, and she was always ready to offer her sympathy to the enforcers’ plights.

“Go sit down and I’ll be right back,” Harry told him quietly before heading down the hall to the Ms. Harmon’s office. _Primary Crime_ was stamped on the window of the office door above _Angela Harmon_. Harry knocked and waited to be invited in before opening the door. Behind the desk, in a big leather backed chair, sat Angel Harmon, the head of the Primary Crime division. She was an alpha female, one who was considered “annoyingly aggressive”, “overbearing”, and “narcissistic” by her competitors. Harry thought she was wonderful...and absolutely terrifying. She looked up from the paper she was filling out and smiled at him. “What brings you to my office, Mr. Styles?”

“I was wondering if you had anything on Leonardo DiCaprio.”

Ms. Harmon folded her hands under chin as she regarded him with dark eyes. “Now why would you wonder that? This wouldn’t have anything to do with the rumors that go along with the DiCaprio name would it?”

“And if it did?” Harry challenged.

“I’d want to know why _you_ are so interested.”

Harry took a deep breath to steady himself. He had to keep his emotions in check if he was going to properly handle this investigation. “I have reason to believe he’s involved in the kidnapping of Liam Payne’s omega, Zayn.”

 


	8. In the Meantime, Cry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, just to be absolutely clear:
> 
> Tom Hiddleston is now Brad Pitt
> 
> Mr. Green is now Mr. Paul Higgins
> 
> Greasy ponytail is still an asshole
> 
> Also, I've added just a bit to the end of the last chapter. You don't have to go back and read it. It's not like a plot changer or anything, but it's there if you'd like. (11/17/2014)
> 
>  
> 
> Continue on your way...

Zayn opened his eyes slowly. Everything seemed blurry, as if his eyes had fogged up, so he blinked his eyes a few times until everything seemed to be as clear as it was going to become. The first thing he realized was that the ceiling above him was stone. Liam didn’t have a stone ceiling anywhere in his house, unless there was a basement that Zayn hadn’t been made aware of. Why hadn’t Liam told him he had a basement? A better question: Why was Zayn in the basement? Zayn frowned and decided he didn’t want to be laying down like he was; he could feel how sore it was making his body. Zayn shifted, slower than he wanted since every movement pulled a stiff muscle in the wrong way, until he was propping himself up on his forearms. Now he was staring at a stone wall. It was a lot closer to Zayn than he thought it should be. He wasn’t a fan of the dark, so if Liam truly had a secret basement, Zayn shouldn’t be this close to a wall. He shouldn’t have left the stairs behind him. Afterall, that’s where the light was coming from, wasn’t it? Zayn twisted to look at what he thought was the light behind him, but what he actually saw made his blood run cold.

There were bars. Old, rusty things that had been here far longer than Zayn had even been alive. The light came from dim light bulbs jutting out from the outer walls along a hallway that passed by Zayn’s cell. Zayn tried to scramble into a sitting position so he was a little less vulnerable, but froze mid-scramble as a hot pain shot up his leg and metal jangled against the floor. Zayn himself into a sitting position with his legs stretched straight in front of him. Around his ankle was a metal cuff that connected to a chain that was connected to a little loop secured in the stone floor. There was blood on either side of the cuff that seemed to be a size too small, so it was cutting into his skin and probably doing some damage to the bones of his ankle. Zayn turned away from the sight. He’d never been a fan of blood. When he’d scraped his knee, he’d had to close his eyes and fight the urge to be sick as his mother cleaned him up and bandaged him. The knee hadn’t even been bleeding that much.

“Look who finally decided to wake up.” Zayn began trembling as the words burned into his skin. He looked up to see the man with the greasy ponytail leering at him from the other side of the bars. Zayn followed the man’s eyes as they seemed to feast on Zayn. The omega realized that he was completely naked. “You’re just so pretty, like he said you were. Maybe I’ll be the one take you home.You could be my bonus.” The man slapped his own knee and laughed too loudly for the dungeon (Zayn could think of no better word) that they were in. “You’d make a lousy bonus.”

 

* * *

 

Ms. Harmon had told him that she had very little on DiCaprio. By “very little”, Harry had assumed she meant a box of papers, circumstantial evidence, theories that went no where, and profiles of suspects. He had not expected the solitary folder Ms. Harmon had produced with information regarding Leonardo DiCaprio. There seemed to be two sources of the rumors always associated with the alpha. One source was a beta woman who’d served as a maid for the family for years. She’d come to the law enforcement office and spoken to one of the enforcers. The enforcer had dismissed her as a disgruntled employee. Harry took note of the enforcer’s name: Herby Swindell. Herby had been killed in the line of duty a few weeks after he’d talked to the beta woman. She had last been known to be working in the city, but her name had never been properly written down, and no one seemed to know, with absolute certainty, where she was. Harry rubbed his temples; that lead was obviously not going to be very useful. He took a sip of coffee and turned to the other source of rumors. The witnesses that placed Leo’s father’s guard at the scene of some of the suspicious disappearances had gotten the man arrested. He was in jail in the city. The wasn’t much about the man’s meeting with the judge. He’d been found guilty of the kidnappings and placed in jail. There was no note telling Harry if the victims had ever been found. There were also no notes of follow-up investigations trying to put the rumors to rest by looking for any shred of evidence in the DiCaprio mansion.

“Have you found anything interesting?” a tired voice asked with a yawn tacked onto the end.

Harry looked up from the papers spread across his desk in his home office to smile at his mate leaning against the door frame with sleepy eyes that were struggling to remain open. “I thought you went to bed, pumpkin,” Harry said softly.

“I can’t sleep without you,” Louis told his alpha quietly.

Harry glance at the clock that ticked on the corner of his desk. It was a little past one in the morning. “Wait right there,” Harry murmured. He shuffled the papers into a semi-neat stack before slipping them into the folder that he left on his desk. He switched off the desk lamp and crossed to his now moon-lit omega.

“Carry me?” Louis asked.

Harry wordlessly obliged, picking his boy up and carrying him to their bedroom. He made to put Louis in the bed, but the omega tightened his arms around Harry’s neck. “I have to put you down, Lou, so that I can take my clothes off.”

Louis pouted, but relinquished his hold and let Harry put him in bed. “Don’t take too long,” he mumbled.

Harry just chuckled as he began undressing. By the time he crawled in the bed with Louis, the omega was already asleep. Harry pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead before pulling Louis safely to his side. The omega stretched an arm across Harry’s broad chest and hummed in his sleep. Harry wanted to go to sleep, but his mind was too alive with thoughts, theories, and unanswered questions. Why hadn’t Herby taken the time to properly investigate all the beta maid had said? Was his death somehow related to the rumors? Had he been killed to keep him from ever investigating? Why had the guard gone down so easily? Did the DiCaprios think that it would keep him quiet or just make secret keeping easier? Was all of this just unfounded rubbish that Harry was letting himself believe because he had a personal connection to Zayn’s kidnapping? Maybe he should have just given the case to Ms. Harmon. If Leo DiCaprio didn’t have Zayn, who did and why had they taken him? Why couldn’t Harry smell them? Was there something that could totally mask a person’s scent? Harry groaned as his head started to hurt with the mounting pile of unanswered questions. He’d be useless tomorrow if he didn’t get any sleep. He began to calm himself by rubbing Louis’ back. His mate snuggled a little closer, a small smile gracing his lips at the touch. Harry closed his eyes and focused on making his breath follow Louis’. When the omega breathed in, Harry made himself breathe out. When the omega breathed out, Harry made himself breathe in. Matching his mates breathing, Harry eventually drifted off to sleep.

 

* * *

 

Liam sat out on the back porch wrapped in a few blankets that Annie had insisted he use if he was going to refuse to move from the rocking chair he’d sat himself in after Harry and Louis left. The forgotten hot chocolate she’d given him had long gone cold in his hands. His eyes remained on the trees that Zayn had been taken into, as if, at any moment, his boy would stumble out crying and calling for him because he’d just wandered off and gotten himself lost. A cold breeze rustled the trees, knocking their branches together and shaking whatever leaves remained. Liam shivered in his seat, but he really didn’t feel the cold. He didn’t really feel anything, except for the painful fear from Zayn that would spike in his blood sending his heart and mind into tizzies. There was so much that he wanted to do, yet he couldn’t. It was unbelievably frustrating. He felt utterly useless. What good was he as an alpha if he couldn’t protect the one person he held dearest?

“I don’t want to ever hear that again, Liam.”

The alpha snapped his head to the voice. Silhouetted by the light streaming from the library stood Annie with her hands on her hips and no doubt a frown on her face. (Liam couldn’t see her face properly because of the back lighting.) Her words seemed unfounded, unless...he must have spoken his last thought out loud. “But it’s true, Annie. I should be out there looking for him, running up and down that back road until I find something useful, something to help him. I shouldn’t be sitting here wrapped up in blankets staring at the stars.”

Annie sighed, her body losing some of it’s firmness. “Were you even looking at the stars?”

Liam turned his eyes back to the dark forest before him. “No. I wasn’t really looking at anything.”

Annie approached him slowly, her feet thudding against the wooden boards of the porch. “You’re doing all that you can. You called Harry and got the investigation started. You’ve answered every question Harry has and you’ll answer any others that he has. You’re helping Zayn by letting Harry conduct this investigation. But can I tell you something?” Liam nodded. “You’re _not_ helping him by sitting out here and freezing. When Zayn comes back, he’s going to want a warm body to curl up with. You’re no good to him cold and six feet under. Come inside.” Again Liam nodded. He uncurled himself from the blankets and moved his stiff joints into the library. Annie locked the doors behind him. “Help me move that chair,” she said. Liam obliged her and together they moved a chair so that it pressed against the doors. “No one is getting in here without our permission.” Annie nodded resolutely and turned to her employer. “Where do you want to rest? I’ve got your room and one of the guest rooms ready. You’re not sleeping in here, so wipe that thought out of your mind. None of this furniture will hold a full-grown, sleeping alpha comfortably. And yes, I expect you to try to get some sleep. You’ll be able to help Zayn better when you’re fully rested.”

Liam didn’t have anything else to say. Annie was obviously in one of her mothering moods. “I’ll sleep in the guest room. The bed might feel a little less lonely without Zayn.” Annie followed him upstairs, grabbing his arm just before he went into the room and kissing his cheek. “Rest as well as you can, Liam. I’ll be in the kitchen if you need anything.”

“Don’t forget you need your rest too, Annie,” Liam said gently before he closed his door. He turned off the light and crawled into what would be his side of the bed if he was in the right bedroom. It was all wrong. The mattress was lumpy, the sheets perpetually cold, the room too dark. It was all so quiet. Liam flopped from side to side unable to find even a remotely comfortable spot. He pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes with the hopes to squash the buzzing thoughts in his head. Eventually, he gave up that plan in favor of staring at the ceiling. It was just a smooth, white surface. The longer Liam watched the ceiling, the closer it seemed to come. It was like LIam was becoming a giant, a man too big for his own house. With a groan, Liam closed his eyes and flipped onto his stomach. He needed something to cuddle with, something to keep him warm while he slept.

Liam pushed the blankets off him, padded across the dark room and down the hallway, and gratefully sank into his own bed. He lit the vanilla candle Zayn had on his bedside table. The omega loved the smell of the candle because it reminded him of Liam’s scent, though he said it wasn’t quite perfect. Liam retrieved a dirty shirt Zayn had thrown on his wardrobe floor. He brought the material to his nose and inhaled Zayn’s spicy smell. It reminded Liam of Zayn’s mother’s cury. When she made that, Liam could smell it from his hotel room and his mouth immediately watered. He returned to the bed and grabbed Zayn’s pillow. He pulled the shirt over it and held it tightly to his chest. He could almost pretend that the feathery pillow was his soft omega safe in his arms.

 

* * *

 

She was silent beneath him as he pulled out of her. He pushed off of the bed and went through the door that went into the adjoining bathroom connecting his bedroom with the omega’s. As he passed through the door he rang a bell to summon a servant to clean up the mess. He showered before going into his bedroom to pull on a fresh set of clothes. He checked the clock mounted on his wall; he had twenty minutes until his next meeting. He pulled the file from his top bedside drawer and re-familiarized himself with the case. It wasn’t anything extraordinary; it was just a petty theft claim. A waste of his time, if you asked him, but no one had. This was his job after all. He made the final decision regarding guilt or innocence.

A knock on his door had him looking up from his papers. “Come in,” he called.

“Alpha Pitt,” a tiny voice called. “Your secretary is on the phone. She says that the people for your meeting are there early. She said they wanted to know if it’d be possible  for you to see them right now.”

Alpha Pitt dragged his hand down his face. “They come early and expect you to see them right away. Who taught them manners? Tell my secretary that I’ll be there on time for the originally scheduled meeting. They can wait.”

The servant left with the soft click of the door. Alpha Pitt opened the file once more. He had no reason to keep the people waiting other than that they were there before him and expected him to see them twenty minutes early. He’d been told once that was considered spiteful.

Getting to his feet, Alpha Pitt left his bedroom and went downstairs. He donned his coat, hat, and gloves, before stepping outside. It wasn’t a long walk from his house just off the main road of town and his judge’s office. He went in the back way to avoid law enforcers, secretaries, and a few individuals from the general public. He didn’t have time for the small social interactions going through the front would entail. He rang for his secretary once he was seated behind his desk. “Yes, sir?”

“You can send them in. They’re still early, but I’ll take them now.”

She nodded, went out the door, and showed the people into his office. “Good afternoon, Judge PItt,” a tall beta greeted. “I trust that you have had a pleasant afternoon.”

Judge Pitt plastered on a fake smile as he listened to the flattery. “It’s been rather pleasant, yes. However, let’s move on from pleasantries. I don’t see why we can’t get through this quickly."

 

* * *

 

Zayn woke up against the cold stones again. He couldn't really remember when he fell asleep...or maybe he passed out. He couldn’t remember. Zayn reached up and rubbed his head. His fingers only brushed his head causing him to whimper a bit. His head hurt. His head hurt a lot. Why did his head hurt? It started to hurt more when he tried to recall just what had caused the pain in the first place, so he changed what his mind focused on. He wiggled his fingers, slowly bent his elbows, and rolled his shoulders. Both his arms worked. He pulled his right leg up, bent his knee, moved his ankle in a slow circle. His right leg was fine. Zayn turned his attention to his still throbbing left ankle. He didn’t want to move it. Was there more blood around the cuff? Zayn licked his finger, bent over, and tried to wipe a bit of the dried blood off, but when he touched his skin, it was as if he’d been burned. His breaths came in short, sharp gasps as tears pricked his eyes.

Zayn’s teeth sank into his bottom lip as he tried to keep his whimpers in. He didn’t want to attract any attention to himself. At the same time he tried to keep himself calm. He could sense Liam’s worry, fear, self-loathing -- if he could keep himself calm, then Liam wouldn't have to worry so much. In the back of his head, he knew that wouldn’t work. Their bond wouldn’t keep Liam in the dark about what Zayn was truly feeling. Another spike of pain shot up his leg and made his whole body tingle uncomfortably. As quietly as he could, Zayn let out tiny cries of distress mixed with calls for his alpha. He sucked in breaths to try to stem the flow of tears.

A sudden tapping sound got his attention. “Psst,” a voice hissed. Zayn wiped at his eyes and looked for the sound. “Crawl towards the bars,” the voice said. Zayn shuffled as fast as he could. “Put your hand out to the right.” Zayn did as he was told, his fingers coming into contact with someone else’s fingers. They felt just as cold as Zayn’s, but slender, almost delicate. “What’s your name?”

“Zayn,” the boy croaked, his voice ragged with tears.

“Zayn,” the voice repeated. “It’s okay to cry. They won’t come down here for the rest of the night. Be as loud as you want. They can’t hear you up there. Your ankle hurts, doesn’t it?”

“Yes,” Zayn whispered.

“It’s stops after a while. You just have to be patient with it. In the meantime, cry. We all have. No one will say anything to you.”

Zayn squeezed the comforting hand, silently thanking the voice for what was said before he broke down into whole-body sobs. It was loud and echoed, but no one said anything to him and no one came to stop him. As the sobs quieted, Zayn became aware of the voice again, only this time it was singing a lullaby. Zayn sniffled as he listened. It was something so beautiful it was grossly out of place. A second voice started to sing, managing to harmonize with the first voice. Zayn’s breathing evened out. The last thing he was aware of was a distant, constant dripping of water that kept time with the lullaby.

 


	9. Prisoner 58901

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! I feel like it's been a while since I've updated this story. 
> 
> How's your life going? Anyone have any fun stories they want to share?

Harry pushed himself from the bed after another sleepless, theory-analyzing night. Louis just grumbled and pushed himself into a sitting position rubbing his eyes sleepily. “What time is it?” Louis muttered.

“Too early for you to be awake. You can go back to sleep, Lou,” Harry told the boy quietly.

“If it’s too early for me, it’s too early for you,” Louis said catching Harry’s wrist as the alpha tried to walk away from the bed. “Come back to be, Harry.”

“I’ve got work to do.”

Louis fixed him with an impressively unimpressed glare for how early it was. “You won’t get anything productive done if you don’t sleep.”

“I slept,” Harry insisted.

“So did I.” With that said, Louis was out of the bed and standing expectantly before Harry. “What are we going to figure out today?”

“I’ve got to talk to Niall about the whole no-scent thing, then I’m going to the city. If there’s time left, I want to see where that back road leads, but I might be home too late for that.”

Louis crossed his arms. “Why does it sound like you’re doing all that on your own?”

“Because I am, except for the road part. I’ll see if another couple of enforcers are free to go on way so that I don’t have to drive up and down the road all by myself. That’d take too long.”

“And what am I to do? Wait at home for my big, strong alpha to come back?”

Harry seemed to consider his question before saying, “Well, yes.”

“What? Why can’t I come with you? Why are you cutting me out of this investigation?” Louis demanded. “I care about him just as much as you do!”

Harry frowned. “I never said you didn’t care, Lou. And I’m not cutting you out. You’re not an enforcer. You’ve never been in on any of my other cases.”

“Then why did you let me talk to Annie?”

Harry had to admit Louis had a point there. He should have taken both of their statements himself. At that point, though, Harry obviously hadn’t known the whole situation and where this case could potentially lead. _Be careful who you involve in this investigation_ , Ms. Harmon had said. _Too many people and you risk someone talking too much. You’ll need a handful of people who you trust to get the job done properly. These kinds of things, if the rumors are true, get dangerous fast. Make sure everyone involved knows this._ Harry had mulled over those words as well as everything else that had gone through his head. He had a couple of colleagues in the Primary Crime unit that he trusted and would call when needed. They had more experience than he did in this kind of case. Ms. Harmon had told him that if he needed anything he was to come to her directly. He’d never thought about telling Louis that he was going to work the case without him. Louis had never been involved in any of his other cases, but this case wasn’t like any of his other cases. Harry ran his hand down his face. He wasn’t trying to cut Louis out; he was trying to protect him. “I want to keep you safe, Louis.” Harry told his omega. “Ms. Harmon warned me that these kinds of cases get dangerous. I can’t be worrying about you at the same time that I’m worrying about Zayn and if these leads are actually going to pan out and what to do if they don’t and if Liam is holding up okay. I need to get over to see him. I need you to know that--”

Louis stopped him with a quick kiss. “You told me you worried about me everyday,” he said with a teasing smile.

Harry wrapped his arms tightly around Louis. “I do, but if you’re more involved in this then that means you’re in more danger and I can’t handle that.”

“Then maybe I can go check up on Liam and Annie for you so you don’t have to worry about them.”

Harry relaxed a little bit. Louis would be out of harms way and Liam would be checked on; two birds, one stone. “That sounds like a good idea.”

“Great!” Louis said. “Let’s go.” He twisted out of his alpha’s arms and made for the door.”

“Aren’t you forgetting something, love?” Harry asked with a chuckle. Louis stopped, hand hovering over the doorknob. He frowned as he looked over himself and then back at Harry for an answer. Harry rolled his eyes. “You can’t go anywhere without pants on.”

Louis sighed dramatically grumbling about, “Tedious social customs.”

With both of them fully dressed, they snuck a quick breakfast from the kitchen, leaving a note behind for their cook so he didn’t make their usual breakfast, and got into the car. Harry drove slowly through town on his way to Liam’s. Louis was chattering about this fantastic dream he had that involved Mrs. Jones from the bakery and a puppy and an elephant. Harry couldn’t help the chuckle and the fond look he sent his omega. Louis’ dreams were always things of wonder. Some were funny, like the one he was talking about now, while others were simply too strange to fully understand. Neither of them had any idea what prompted such outlandish visions to visit the omega every night, but they knew that these dreams led to some excellent breakfast conversations. “Did you have any dreams, Harry?” Louis asked.

“None that I care to recall,” Harry said with a rueful smile.

“Did you have a bad dream?” Louis asked, the picture of concern.

“Sort of.”

“Will you tell me about it?”

Harry took Louis’ hand and kissed it. “You don’t want to hear about it, love.”

Louis pouted. “I do, I promise. Was it about Zayn?”

“Sort of.” Harry couldn’t lie to his omega. He couldn’t really keep anything from his omega.

“Was it bad? Was he hurt?”

“He had a bruise on his cheek, but then he turned into you and I couldn’t find you. I could see you, and shouted for you, but you couldn’t hear me and I couldn’t get to you. I was so scared. I didn’t want you getting hurt.”

Louis squeezed Harry’s hand. “It was only a dream. I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.”

Harry took his eyes off the road and sent his boy a grin. “I know. And that’s why you’re going to Liam’s today.”

Louis just rolled his eyes. Harry was over-protective in his opinion, but he would never deny how much he loved it...most of the time. When there was something going on in town or Louis really wanted to do something he thought would be so much fun, Harry would let his protectiveness cross to overbearing-control-freak and tell Louis no. Louis would then rebel by either throwing a very dignified tantrum of sorts or go ahead and do whatever Harry had said no to. More often than Louis would care to admit, Harry had said no for a reason and was usually right in his decision. He never once told Louis _I told you so_ which Louis was so grateful for. His alpha was always there with a big, comforting hug and a sweet box of chocolates to make him feel better.

“Do you think Liam would find my dream amusing?” Louis asked Harry as they rounded the last corner on their way to Liam’s house.

“It would probably make him smile. You should definitely tell him,” Harry said as he slowed the car to a stop. The two of them walked up to the door and rang the bell. It took a few moments, but the door finally opened to reveal a tired looking Annie. The beta woman managed a wobbly smile at the two of them. “Good morning, Annie,” Harry greeted.

“Hi, Harry. Do you have any news?”

Harry didn’t miss the way Annie seemed to hold the door just a bit tighter or how her shoulders seemed to pull tight as if bracing for something. “I’ve no news, but I’m going to the city today to look into a couple of things. I was hoping Louis might spend today here with you and Liam.”

Annie relaxed slightly. At least there wasn’t any bad news. “You know you’re both welcome here any time,” Annie told him. “Do you want to come in for a bit? Liam is in the library.” She stepped back to let them both in. They followed Annie to the library. Liam wasn’t on any of the couches or in any of the chairs inside. Instead, he was on the back porch under blankets and staring off into the distance. Annie muttered something neither Harry nor Louis caught as she marched through the french doors to the alpha in the rocking chair. “Liam Payne, come inside this moment. What did I tell you about freezing to death?” Liam wordlessly followed his housekeeper back inside only to plop into the chair that had been keeping the doors closed. Annie sighed as she rejoined a semi-stunned looking Harry and Louis. “I’m worried about him. He’s not sleeping -- I can hear him pacing; he barely eats; he sits out on that stupid porch unless I tell him to come in. I understand why all of this is happening. I can’t imagine not being able to help my mate if he was in trouble. I just...Zayn’s going to need him at his best when he comes back, but without Zayn, he’s only a shell of himself. I’m so worried about both of them.” Annie bit her lip as her eyes fell on Liam once more.

Harry wrapped an arm around Annie, pulling her out of the library as he nodded towards Liam in a silent direction to Louis. Louis understood immediately and went to Liam’s side. “Hi, Liam,” he greeted quietly.

Liam jumped when Louis spoke to him. He turned his startled eyes to Louis and returned his greeting after a few moments pause. “Hey Louis.”

“What are you doing?” Louis asked as he took a seat on the floor at Liam’s feet.

“I’m watching for Zayn,” Liam said.

Louis felt a piece of his heart break at the words. “Mind if I join you?”

“Four eyes are better than two,” Liam murmured.

Louis smiled. That seemed a little like something the happy Liam Louis knew would say. Louis settled himself against Liam’s leg and folded his hands over his tummy. “Good. While we watch, I think I’ll tell you about this crazy dream I had last night…”

 

* * *

 

The city was only an hour’s drive from the town. In the spring all the trees lining the road and blanketing the mountains were blooming. Their flowers filled the air with sweet scents while bees floated from tree to tree. In the autumn the roads glowed with gold and red leaves as the trees prepared to shed their leaves and bare their branches for winter. Harry didn’t notice the gray branches reaching for him as he pressed his foot down on the gas. He was anxious to get to the city today. Today the real investigating started, which meant he could actually feel like he was doing something productive. Up until now he’d been gathering facts and information and getting his ducks in a row for a smooth investigation. He felt like he hadn’t truly been doing anything to help find Zayn, which was probably another reason why he couldn’t sleep well. Today was the start of it all, though. He was finally _doing_ something that felt productive.

The law enforcers in the city had many offices spread out so that they were readily available to the people they served. Like Harry’s office, the judge worked on the floor above listening to cases and pleas. Harry’s office had a basement where they kept the really “bad” criminals for a few nights. The basement was basically the town’s jail. In the city, the jail was a few minutes outside of town. It was surrounded by a nasty looking fence with spikes along the top rim to deter escapees (if there were any) from scaling the fence. Harry wasn’t sure how they deterred people from digging under the fence, but that wasn’t really his concern at the moment. His goal was inside the jail today. As he drove through the sleepy city this morning, he made a mental note to get something from Louis’ favorite shop on the way home. It’d been too long since he and Louis had visited the city together for fun. Maybe he’d treat his omega with a nice night out once this was all done.

Harry cleared his head of thoughts of Louis and nights out as he pulled up to the guard center at the entrance of the jail. He’d rather not have thoughts of his perfect boy in such a nasty place. To the guard that approached his car, he explained who he was and why he was there. He gave the guard his identification code (every law enforcer had one) and was finally waved through the gate. He parked a few feet from the main entrance. Taking a deep breath, Harry approached the jail. Another guard opened the door for the alpha while another one asked him if he had anything that would be considered dangerous in this situation. Harry shook his head. “Take how ever long you need with him. He’s waiting for you in the common area. It’ll be just you two. The others are still in their cells. If you need anything, there is a button on the bottom of the table that will signal us.” Harry nodded to indicate he understood the instructions. He was led to the common area where a solitary man sat alone at a table. He was wearing a shirt that reminded Harry of a pirate. For some reason, Harry found that observation amusing, evident by the small smile that slipped out as he crossed to the table.

The solitary figure looked up calmly, his eyes clearer than Harry expected and a smile like Harry’s on his face. “What do you find so amusing, Alpha….?”

“Harry or Mr. Styles will be fine. What I find amusing is your shirt. It reminded of a pirate. My omega loves pirates. Swears he’d make a great one.” Harry chuckled at the memory of Louis’ rather vibrant explanation of why he would make one of the best pirates in history.

“You don’t agree with him?” the solitary figure asked.

“He wouldn’t be able to handle life on a pirate ship. It’d be a tad too dirty for him.”

“Somehow I don’t think you came here to discuss whether or not your omgea would make a good pirate. Why, Mr. Styles, are you here?”

“Before I answer that, I’d like you to tell me your name, so that I can call you something other than Prisoner 58901.”

“Mr. Lenin will be fine. Your turn.”

“I’m here to talk to you about why you’re in here.”

“Those omegas went missing a long time ago. What new evidence could you possibly have?”

“My friend’s omega was taken. I have an idea of why and who, but I need some information from you about your former employer Alpha George DiCaprio.”

Mr. Lenin stiffened at the mention of the man he last worked for. He shifted, breaking the steady eye contact he’d been holding. “What about him do you want to know? I was just his employee. I probably don’t know what you think I do.”

“You were George’s right hand man,” Harry murmured. “I think you know exactly what I need to know.”

Mr. Lenin raised his eyes to meet Harry’s once more. “What do you want to know?”

“I need to know what George did for a living.” Harry used as statement instead of a question. He set his notebook on the table and pulled a pen from his coat pocket. “I already know about the shipping company. Was there anything else he did?”

Mr. Lenin stared at the pen hovering over the paper. It was like the object just kept getting bigger and bigger. This was it. Hadn’t he been waiting for this his entire time spent behind bars? Hadn’t he been waiting for his moment of revenge; his moment to get back at the man who ruined his life? Didn’t he want to get back at the man who took everything from him, even if it was just through that man’s son? “Alpha DiCaprio ran a shipping company. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Harry frowned. “Is that so? Funny. I was sure there must be something else. We must be done here.” Harry slid his pen back into his pocket. “It’s a shame that that’s all he did. I’ll let you in on a secret. I never thought you took those omegas. I have a theory -- well, I had a theory, but it doesn’t matter now.” Harry rose from the table, pocketing his notebook slowly. “Thank you for your time.” The law enforcer smoothed his coat and slowly turned from the table. _One...two...three...four…_

“Wait, I--”

Harry glanced casually over his shoulder as Mr. Lenin who was now hunched in his seat staring at the wall opposite him. “Did you have something to share, Mr. Lenin?”

The prisoner’s lip curled into a growl. “Watch your tone.”

Harry held his hand up in an apology as he turned around. He took his former seat, took out his notepad,and brought his pen back out. “What is it that you want to tell me, Mr. Lenin?”

“Alpha DiCaprio -- George, that is -- he prefered to be, well...hands on. He had to see them for himself.”

“See what for himself?” Harry pried.

“The merchandise. He never trusted anyone but me. I was standing outside keeping watch.I suppose those people saw me standing outside.”

“What was this merchandise?” Harry pressed. He needed all the information he could get.

Mr. Lenin fell silent, fidgeting in his seat. “Omegas. Mated or unmated. They just had to be pretty.” Another silence only filled by Harry’s scratching pen. Mr. Lenin’s fingers drummed on the table top. “He was selling them. His son started helping him before I got arrested.”

“And why should I believe you?” Harry asked piercing Mr. Lenin with a hard stare.

Mr. Lenin waved a hand vaguely in the air. “What have the DiCaprios ever done for me? I’m here without any hope of being let out. What have I got to lose?”

“Nothing, it seems.” Harry murmured. “Thank you, Mr. Lenin. Is there anything I can do for you in return for your help?” Harry pocketed his notebook and pen while he waited for an answer.

Mr. Lenin stared up at the standing alpha. “Alpha DiCaprio took…” His lip curled into another growl. “Her name is Ray. She works...she should still work in the laundry room. Could you check on her? I just need to know she’s okay.”

 

 


	10. He Knew Something Now

Niall rolled up to the table with the first aid kit balanced on his knees. The omega sitting on his table was shaking as he rolled close to her again. “Now, there’s no need to be scared. I’m just going to disinfect some of the cuts and bandage them all. Just take a deep breath for me.” She took a breath in. “Don’t forget to let it out, sweetie.” She smiled as she let out the air she’d taken in. “Maybe we can chat while I do this so you’re distracted from the stinging. This is going to sting by the way,” Niall said holding up a cotton ball after dipping it in disinfectant. “I know I introduced myself as Dr. Horan, but you can call me Niall if you want. I grew up here. Where are you from?”

He only got a shrug in reply. He smiled at her in return. “That’s alright. I know that might have been a bit too much to start with. How about we begin again. My favorite color is green. What’s yours?”

She bit her lip as he wiped off another cut. “I like yellow.”

“Yellow is a very pretty color,” Niall assured her.

“Thank you,” she said softly, hissing a bit at the end as the disinfectant’s sting became a little more portent.

“Sorry,” he murmured. “So you like yellow. How about food. What’s your favorite food? I prefer Mrs. Jones’ baked chicken with mashed potatoes. I don’t know how she does it, but it practically melts the minute you put it in your mouth.”

The omega girl smiled as Niall wrapped another bandage around a cut. “I like buttered bread,” she said quietly. Niall looked up at her with a smile that was both amused and a bit startled. Was buttered bread the most exciting thing she’d eaten, or was buttered bread really her favorite thing?

“Almost done,” Niall said. He finished with the last cut and closed the first aid kit. He put the box on the counter and turned to her.

“Am I all done?” she asked quietly.

“Yep. Do you mind if I ask what happened? It might be a little easier to answer without that goon in here.” Niall was referring to the rather large beta that had brought this young lady to his office. She’s seemed so nervous around him; getting an answer that wasn’t an unintelligible mumble was an accomplishment. Now that it was just the two of them, Niall was hoping that he could get something a little more from her.

“I’m bad,” she said quietly.

Niall gave her a rather disbelieving look. “You? Bad? Now why do I think that’s impossible?” She ducked her head, her fingers, a few of which were bandaged, twisting in her lap. Niall took a moment to notice that her fingernails looked like they were bitten down. Probably a nervous habit from when she was younger. Niall sighed, patting her leg. “Shall I let that gentleman back in so I can tell him how to take care of you once you’re back home?” She nodded, not looking away from her anxious fingers. Niall stood from his stool and opened the door. He nodded at the man leaning against the wall just outside the door. The beta tugged the girl off the table. She winced as the jolt from the landing on the floor. “Just a second. Let me tell you what to do when you get home,” Niall said.

The beta looked from Nial to the omega whose arm he had a hand wrapped around. “She looks fine to me,” he grunted. “What else do I have to do?”

“You’ll need to clean and rewrap the cuts so they can heal and not get infected. I’ll send some bandage and disinfectant cream home with you.” Niall handed the beta the supplies.

The beta took it and asked, “Anything else?” he demanded.

“No.”

“You don’t need any money or anything?” the man asked his skepticism evident in his voice.

Niall shook his head. “No.”

Without another word, the beta dragged the bandaged omega from the office. Niall followed them, his face betraying the sadness and tiredness after appointments like this. The beta dragging the girl pushed past a tall alpha Niall immediately recognized. The alpha was the one making the apologies as the omega started to apologize for the rude beta as she was dragged through the front door. The alpha offered her a comforting smile before she disappeared. Niall dragged his hands down his face as he came to stand next to the alpha. “Is there anything we can do for her? She had a lot of bandages,” the alpha observed quietly to the doctor.

“No. I don’t know who she is. I barely heard her name. I think it was Emma...or something like that. That man wasn’t even her mate. I wouldn’t know how to find her again. I wish I could help her, Harry. I hate knowing something is seriously wrong and my hands are tied. I don’t think whoever she goes home to will even bother helping her change the bandages.” Niall sighed heavily. “What can I do for you Harry?”

“Could we take this to your office?”

Niall went from tired to alert at the tone in Harry’s voice. “Of course.” Niall lead the way to his office making sure the door was closed securely once they were both inside. “What’s going on?” Niall asked.

“I need to know if there’s any way for a person to mask their scent.”

Niall gave him a funny look. “You know that, Harry. Hasn’t Louis ever worn something of yours so that he smells like you?”

“No. I know how to do that. Is there any way someone could mask their scent completely so that other people simply can’t smell them.”

Niall frowned. “So, is there anything that a person could use so that they just didn’t have a scent?”

“Yes. And it would keep them from leaving a scent behind.”

Niall was quiet as he thought, and then he began to talk. “There’s been talk about making something like that lately. There’s talk about everyone using it at some point so that class doesn’t matter right away when you meet someone. I think that would be dangerous. Scents are so important. Does this have to do with a case or something?”

Harry glanced at the ceiling. “Liam’s not told you then?”

Niall shifted in his seat. “Told me what?”

“Zayn has gone missing.”

“What?” Niall shouted. “How? When?”

“Two days ago. The kidnappers didn’t leave a scent behind. So is there anything out there at all that could do that?”

Niall ran a hand through his hair, disheveling the blonde strands he’d so carefully put into place this morning. “Right. Yes. Okay. There’s...I know of one thing. It’s this lotion that blocks a scent. It’s not actually sold from any store or doctor yet. The tests have been shoddy and biased. At a conference about it, we were talking to one of the test subjects and found out they had a nasty rash. That’s the only one I’ve heard of. I can’t remember the name. Let me see if I have it written down somewhere.” Niall turned to the shelves behind his desk and began rummaging through the files and notebooks stacked there. “I think I went to that conference a couple months ago...was it July? Ah! Here we are.” Niall turned back to Harry who had his pen and notebook ready to jot down the name. “It’s called Kein Geruch. It’s the only one that I know about, like I said.” Harry made his notes, and, as he was putting his notebook and pen away, Niall asked, “How is Liam doing?”

“About was well as one would expect. Louis is with him now. I’m going to tell him about what I’ve learned today. I’ve just got one more thing to do today. Liam thinks Zayn was taken in a car and this car went one of two ways on a back road neither of us are very familiar with. I want to see if it leads anywhere important.”

“I’ll go check on Liam. I’ll close up early and --”

“No!” Harry practically shouted. “Don’t do anything that will draw any attention to yourself.”

“Why?”

“I don’t want too many people to ask questions. I think this has to do with the DiCaprios.”

Niall, who had stood from his seat to start packing up for the day, sank back into this seat. “Leonardo DiCaprio. Harry, those rumors…”

“I know. That’s why I want you to be careful. I don’t want the wrong people showing interest. It’ll get dangerous.”

“How close is Zayn to his heat? Do you know?” Niall asked suddenly. Every six months following their fifteenth birthday, an omega would enter a period where they craved sex. It lasted at least four days, no longer than a week, and in those days, the omega was weak, extremely vulnerable. Their bodies almost surpassed fever hot, and the longer they went without the satisfaction of mating, the more painful it became. Omegas rarely died if they didn’t have a mate to help them through a heat. Their families would protect them from alphas or betas with bad intentions. Zayn was not with his mate, though. If the rumors about DiCaprio were true and Zayn went into heat under those conditions, it could go from bad to worse. Niall didn’t want to think about the nightmare that would cause.

“I don’t know. Fuck. I don’t know.” Harry clenched his fists on his leg to keep the panic and anger at bay. “I have to go. I’m going to update Liam, figure out when Zayn’s heat is, and see where that road goes.” Harry rose from his seat, obviously distressed. It was one of the few times Niall could recall seeing such emotion from Harry. The alpha was usually calm and content with a peaceful smile that’d turn into a grin if Louis did something particularly outlandish. Harry was not quick to anger or judgement, a quality that made him a successful law enforcer. He was respected by everyone in town. Seeing him so markedly distressed, Niall worried that this case -- something bigger than what he usually dealt with -- might be too much for him. That wasn’t to say that Niall thought that Harry wouldn’t find Zayn. (He knew that Harry would find Zayn no matter what it took.) It was to say that he might lose something in the process.

“Harry,” Niall said softly. The alpha froze and looked at the beta still sitting down. “Harry, you’re going to find him. Go follow this lead. After I close up here, I’ll join you over at Liam’s. Go on.” Niall waved him out of the office.

Harry quickly left the doctor’s office, going around the corner to his car parked in the back. His mind was now racing. He could see Louis in heat. The boy was a mess. He could barely get words to form on his dry tongue, and heaven help him if he tried to string those half-words into sentences. Harry barely had to say more than a syllable before Louis was on his hands and knees presenting himself trying to be so good for his alpha. Louis’ normally one-track mind became dangerously narrow and keenly focused on what he craved. Harry sent the staff away when Louis went into heat. He didn’t want anyone else to get to see something so intimate between mates. (He was also scared he might kill anyone who got within twenty-five feet of Louis when he was in heat.) Harry had stayed at the office late one night to finish a case because he knew he’d be unavailable with Louis nearing his heat. It turns out, Louis went into heat early. Harry had his arms full of a crying, stuttering omega. Louis had convinced himself Harry had abandoned him for an omega who was less confrontational, more obedient. The staff had luckily left on their own once the butler had realized what was going on. Harry had never let Louis get too far into heat without mating him. He never wanted to know that Louis was in pain and he wasn’t taking it away.

Harry had heard the rumors regarding DiCaprio. He’d heard about the conditions the omegas were kept in. They were less than ideal: dungeon cells, barely enough food to subsist on, either in rags or completely naked. An omega who went into heat could cause a “special event”. People could pay to use the omega. Used like that, by alphas and betas who would overestimate the omega’s ability to take them, the omega could, and most likely would, die. Harry nearly swerved off the road as his stomach twisted at the thought. He needed to find Zayn before his heat. Zayn and Liam were family. Harry would do his absolute best to prevent harm from coming to either of them.

Annie opened the door for Harry when he pulled up to Liam’s house. “What is it?” Annie asked as he came up to her. His emotions must have been plastered all over his face. “Don’t let Liam see you looking so upset. He’ll jump to the worst conclusion. What is it?”

“I went to the city jail and talked to a man with inside information. The DiCaprios are definitely involved in omega trafficking. Annie, when is Zayn’s heat? Do you know?”

Her hand came over her mouth as her eyes grew wide. “January. That’s when his birthday is. You’ll find him before that right? Oh God…” Annie swayed on her feet. Harry wrapped her in his arms to comfort and steady her. “Don’t tell Liam you’re worried about that. He’ll freak out. Just tell him about the city guy. He’s a good source, right? He could be leading you on. Getting you kicked off the case for being too involved. Don’t...oh God.”

Harry began rubbing the beta woman’s back. “Annie, I’m going to find Zayn and bring him back here safe and sound. It’s all going to be fine.”

“He’s in the library,” Annie told him stepping away and wiping the tears from her eyes. “I’ll bring some tea. Louis is in there with him. He’s quite a little chatterbox. He’s been a good distraction.”

Harry smiled. “He’s good at that. They’re in the library?”

“Yes. I don’t think he’s going to move tonight.”

She gave him a wry smile before making her way to the kitchen. Harry shared the same sentiment. Moving to the library, Harry quietly opened the door. He found the pair of them sitting in front of the doors leading to the back porch. They were both wrapped in blankets. Sitting by the doors probably wasn’t very warm in such a large room. Louis’ blanket was bunched around his hips and wrapped around his legs leaving his arms free to gesticulate throughout his story. Louis always seemed to talk more with his hands than he did with his voice. When Harry entered the library, Louis paused, arms in mid air as he turned his head to look over his shoulder and around Liam’s chair. “Harry!” he greeted loudly as he struggled to disentangle himself from the blanket so he could run to his alpha. “I missed you,” Louis sighed as he wrapped his arms around Harry’s middle. “You were gone for so long.”

“It was only a few hours,” Harry reminded Louis with a fond smile.

“It was seven,” Louis corrected. “It was far too long.”

“We’ve been apart for longer, pumpkin,” Harry said as he ran a hand through Louis’ hair. “Remember when you went to your mom’s for two days? I thought Mr. Barnes was going to lock me in my room to keep me from wearing a hole through the parlor rug with all my pacing.”

“I didn’t like it anymore than you,” Louis said.

Harry hugged him tighter and then followed him to the chair. Louis settled himself back on the floor at Liam’s feet, pulling the blanket around him once he was settled while Harry pulled up his own chair. Liam turned his dull stare from the doors to Harry. “How’ve you been?” he asked Harry, his voice cracking from lack of use like a squeaking door slowly creaking open after years of neglect.

“Working hard. I learned a few things today that you might find interesting,” Harry told his friend.

Liam shifted in his seat, sitting up straighter and rearranging his blankets. “What did you find out?”

“The rumors surrounding DiCaprio are true. Do you remember the guard that was arrested a couple years ago after those omegas had disappeared?” Harry waited for Liam to nod before continued. “He told me that George DiCaprio had been an active omega-trafficker, and that Leo picked it up. I think the family omega-trade is as old as their shipping business. Obviously, this makes Leo a promising suspect. I talked to Niall today. He said there’s this lotion called Kein Geruch. It neutralizes someone’s scent, but it causes an apparently nasty rash. That may be the reason we couldn’t smell anyone strange. He’s going to stop by later to come see you. I explained the situation to him. Do you mind?”

Liam shook his head. “Is there anything else?” he asked quietly.

“Not yet. I’m going to see where that road goes today. Could I call the office to get a couple of other agents to help me?”

“Of course, of course. My phone is in my office,” Liam said. The alpha slumped in his seat and returned his gaze to his backyard once Harry had disappeared. He remembered being sort-of friends with Leo when he was younger and his parents still lived here. The Paynes and the DiCaprios were two of the oldest families in town. He could clearly picture laying in the grass looking up at the clouds with a full tummy after an early dinner with Leo. They were talking about their futures, the jobs they wanted, the perfect omega, the kids they’d surely have. Liam remembered how Leo had talked about what he wanted his omega to be like. He wanted someone who was completely submissive, silent, and perfectly obedient. It hadn’t sat well with Liam who wanted someone he could talk to, who he could discuss things with. He wanted a relationship like his mother and father had; a relationship of love, compromise, and happiness. After that day, Liam and Leo began to go their separate ways. They’re views of the world were different, growing and pushing them apart until they were simply cordial acquaintances. Liam had always taken the rumors with a grain of salt. People liked to gossip; the juicier the better. Liam never thought there was anything more than a disgruntled employee trying to destroy the name of the family that had let them go. How could Leo do that to him?

“Niall!” Louis greeted loudly yanking Liam from his thoughts.

“Hey there, Lou,” Niall greeted softly, more subdued than Liam had heard him in a while. “Hey, Liam,” Niall said as he took the chair Harry had occupied earlier. Liam gave his friend a weak smile that fell away as quickly as it had come. Niall reached over to squeeze his friend’s shoulder, silently reassuring him of everything everyone had already told him.

Harry came in a few moments later followed by another alpha. It was woman with dark hair and dark eyes that Liam vaguely remembered but couldn’t quite place at the moment. “Liam, this is Ms. Harmon, head of the Primary Crime unit. She’s helping with the investigation. Thought you might like to meet her.”

Liam gingerly shook the woman’s hand. “Thank you,” he managed to get out.

“Don’t thank me until we get your boy back to you safely,” Ms. Harmon said. “Harry and I are going to be seeing where that back road goes. Is it alright if we drive back there?”

Liam nodded. “Do whatever you need to.”

“Can I come with you?” Louis asked Harry.

“Sure. We’ll go home afterwards,” Harry told him. The omega beamed and got to his feet taking his alpha’s hand.

“We should get going before it gets too dark,” Ms. Harmon said. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Liam.”

“Same,” Liam returned.

“When I know something, you know something,” Harry told him, giving him as good of a hug as he could when he was standing and Liam was sitting. Louis pushed his way into Liam’s lap to give him a proper hug. He said something quietly to Liam which made the alpha smile. Harry couldn’t quite catch it, but he would let it go. Liam needed to smile right now and there was no reason for Harry to pry. Satisfied, Louis got off of Liam and followed Harry out of the library with a wave goodbye for Niall. Ms. Harmon was already in her car waiting for Harry and Louis to get in theirs. The two cars rolled slowly around the house and down to the road. Ms. Harmon turned left, towards what Harry assumed was only mountains. Harry took the right, heading towards the town. Louis was quiet next to him as his eyes scanned either side of the road, searching for anything that would be important.

Harry’s hopes began to dim. He felt like he’d been driving for ages by now, though that may have been because he was looking for something and he wasn’t exactly sure what that something was. The most exciting thing he’d seen so far was a fallen tree. Other than that, the grass looked the same on either side and all the trees stood stoically by the road side. He wondered if Ms. Harmon had had any luck. Perhaps the car that had taken Zayn had veered off the road and he’d missed the tire tracks leading away, or they’d turned left and veered off in that direction. If that was true, the kidnappers could have taken him far, far away, switching their mode of transportation along the way to avoid being detected and followed. The thoughts made Harry’s stomach twist uncomfortably. It was a possibility Harry didn’t want to accept until he’d run the course of the Leo lead.

“Harry...Harry look!” Louis shrieked.

Harry let the car slow to a stop. Louis was pointing out the window up a hill without any trees blocking the view from the bottom to the top. Harry’s hands tightened around the steering wheel. His lips curled over his teeth as a menacing growl that caused a flash of fear to shoot through Louis escaped. Harry turned the car around and began speeding back to Liam’s. He knew something now.


	11. Big, Bold Letters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm loving the feedback everyone. It means so much to me that you are all enjoying it. I'm not sure I'll complete Nano this year, but I'm much closer than I was last year. I have you all to thank for keeping me motivated. Love you all and enjoy this next chapter.

Zayn slowly opened his eyes, groaning as his ankle throbbed as he regained consciousness. There was a gentle squeeze on his hand pulling his thoughts away from the pain. He lifted his head off of his arm and shook it slightly to clear the last bits of sleep from between his ears. He took a deep breath in, and paused. The normally rancid, dank air of his dungeon was almost buried beneath a sweet aroma. Zayn took another breath in an attempt to figure out just what smelled so sweet. “Is that--?” he started to ask the voice next door, but he was interrupted by the sound of the hall door opening and heavy boots clunking towards them. Zayn scrambled away from the bars of his cell like the voice had told him to do and cowered in the darkest corner. All the jerky movements had his entire body trembling with pain, but he kept quiet. Now was not the time to be seen as weak. He pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around his knees to cover himself.

Leonardo DiCaprio followed his head supervisor down the hall. His head swung left and right quickly observing the occupant of each cell. They each seemed to be doing fine. He was especially anxious to see how his newest arrival was doing. He’d heard good things about him so far and was hoping he’d be ready for the next party. “What is that lovely smell?” he asked his head supervisor after taking a closer look at one of his older omegas.

His head supervisor sniffed the air and let an almost evil grin cross his face. “Someone’s gone into heat.”

Leonardo stood with an almost gleeful expression on his face. “Bring them upstairs once we’ve finished inspection.”

His head supervisor nodded, a new pep in his step as they continued down the hall. “Here’s the new one,” he told DiCaprio as they arrived at Zayn’s cell.

Leonardo crouched down and peered inside. He could see Zayn curled up in the corner looking at him with big eyes that betrayed everything he was sure the omega was trying to hide. “Has he been eating? He looks a little thin.”

“He was eating in the beginning, but he’s been eating less and less. Apparently the food has stopped agreeing with him,” the head supervisor sneered.

Leo frowned. “Come here,” he ordered.

Zayn’s face paled as his body recoiled at the Alpha Voice command. It wasn’t his alpha. He didn’t need to listen. Going to Leo would not make him happy so he didn’t have to do it. His head began to pound as the internal struggle began to get worse the longer Zayn didn’t comply.

“Come here,” Leonard repeated, firmer with just a hint of anger.

Zayn whimpered and found himself crawling towards the bars so Leo could see him better. Leo rubbed his chin as he took in Zayn’s appearance: getting on the too-skinny side of thin, his skin pale dotted with bright purple and green bruises. Leonardo remembered being impressed by Zayn’s defiance during his first lesson. It’d been quickly beaten out of him, but it was impressive nonetheless. “Poor kitten,” Leo cooed. Zayn cringed. “We’re going to find someone to take good care of you. Just remember to behave.”

“Yes, alpha,” Zayn whispered as Leonardo stood.

“Good boy.” Leonardo praised. Zayn had to fight the urge to be sick.

The alpha and the head supervisor (Zayn had a hard time recognizing that man’s scent) had their attention captured by some whimpers echoing from a few cells down. They quickly moved away from Zayn’s cell. “I think we found our culprit,” Leo was saying as he moved away. Zayn listened as a cell door creaked open and chains rattled. Then the head supervisor was walking quickly from the dungeon with a girl hanging limply in his arms. As they passed, Zayn was hit with a tidal wave of the sweet smell which he immediately realized was the smell of an omega in heat. He began to panic. What day was it? What month was it? Was he close to his heat? How long had he been there? What would happen if he went into heat here? What would Liam think...feel...do? Would Liam even want him back after this? Was he ever going to see Liam again? Zayn whimpered at the thought of never seeing his mate again. If that was going to happen, Zayn wanted to die. What was the point of life if he didn’t have Liam with him?

“We’ve got a party planned for the end of the week. Everyone be on their best behavior,” Leonard said loudly before he left the dungeon.

Zayn rolled onto his hands and knees and proceeded to get sick. He was so worried right now. He was so scared. He wanted Liam. Bad things happened when Liam wasn’t around. He started to cry as his empty stomach heaved. His tears came hot and fast. He couldn’t breathe. Thoughts of Liam consumed his mind. His mind raced, almost beating the pace his heart had sped into. Faintly he could hear someone calling his name. Was it Liam? Maybe he’d finally come to get him. Liam could help him feel better. Zayn crawled towards the voice, only to realize that it was the girl next door who held his hand. She was calling his name. Zayn hiccuped as his took her hand once more. She squeezed it and rubbed her fingers over his knuckles. “You’re going to be okay, Zayn. You’re going to be okay. Breathe, Zayn, breathe.” She began singing the lullaby she sang every night. Zayn found himself joining in with the others as his mind slowed and he regained his ability to breathe.

Upstairs, Leonardo donned his coat and gloves as he prepared to go into town. He had some last minute invitations to extend to this week’s party. A servant made sure his coat was smooth and free of lint before he stepped outside. His car was waiting for him at the bottom of his front steps. His chauffeur stood with his door waiting open for him. Leo jogged down the stairs, smiling at his chauffeur as he slipped into his seat. Once the door had been closed and his driver had gotten behind the wheel, Leonardo told him, “Take me to the main road. You can drop me off at the grocery store. I’ll be there for a bit and then move about for a bit. I’ll meet you back at the grocery store around two.”

“Yes, alpha,” the driver said.

The drive was as long as it usually was. Leo kept his eyes out the window looking at the bare trees and the gray sky. It was now finally starting to look and feel like winter. Admittedly, he was going to miss the blue skies and warmer temperatures, but he’d always had a fondness for winter. There was something invigorating about the chilly bite in the wind and the sharp snap in the wind. It was refreshing, almost better than a warm summer sun after a string of rainy days. “Is there any gossip I should be caught up on before I mosey about today?” Leo asked his driver.

“Mr. Higgins is actually thinking about leaving town,” his driver said.

“Oh really?”

“Yes, alpha. I think he wants to get away from the memories.”

The car pulled up to the grocery store as Leo hummed, “Interesting. Remember, two o’clock.”

“Yes, alpha.” The driver quickly got out and opened the car door for Leonardo. The alpha entered the store, glancing up as a bell rang signaling his entrance. He strolled through the aisles looking over what Mr. Higgins was offering. It all seemed normal; nothing extravagant, though Leo wasn’t sure what he was actually expecting. Behind the counter, Mr. Higgins was reading over today’s newspaper. The paper was laid flat on counter so that Mr. Higgins could keep an eye on the people coming in and out of his store. Leonardo couldn’t see the headlines from where he was, but as he approached the counter, a flash of anger shot through him when he finally did see the headline. In big, bold letters the front page declared: “ **City Leader Rules Omegas Stay in School** ”. Leonardo grabbed a paper and began to glance through the article. He sneered at the “facts” spewed by radicals. What did they know? “Can you believe this?” he asked Mr. Higgins motioning to the article.

The store owner looked up and shook his head. “It’s a bit shocking.”

“It’s not fair to the omegas is what it is. How can these _radicals_ (the term sneered and dripping with derision) think that the omegas will be able to handle the material covered in higher grades? They should know better.”

Mr. Higgins sighed. “It’s just another thing they’re trying to change. I agree with them that the reading and writing is a good thing for them to learn, but the rest...I don’t know. They’ll see. The omegas will get into the higher grades and they’ll be unable to handle it. They’ll leave then. No reason to overtax themselves.”

“We could save them the trouble by keeping things the way they are. Everything is for a reason.”

“I think they just want the omegas to have a choice,” Mr. Higgins said quietly.

Leonardo folded his paper and tucked it under his arm. With a warm chuckle he said, “You’ve more patience for those idiots than I do. How much for the paper?”

“You can just take it,” Mr. Higgins said. “It’s just a half-piece.”

Leonardo placed a half-piece on the counter despite Mr. Higgins dismissal. “I won’t be taking advantage of such kindness. I like to pay for what I take.” Mr. HIggins put the money in the register. Leonardo, still looking over his paper, began to chat. “I heard you’re thinking about leaving town.”

Mr. Higgins groaned, dragging a tired hand over his face. “I am.” The two of them ignored the bell telling them they had company. “I’m having a hard time adjusting to life without Joey.” Mr. Higgins squeezed his suddenly teary eyes closed. It was rare that he said his mate’s name out loud. Leonardo frowned sympathetically and he placed a comforting hand on Mr. Higgin’s hunched shoulder. The grocery store owner took a shuddered breath in before exhaling raggedly. “I have too many memories in this place. I’m thinking of going to live with my parents for a while. Can’t seem to find anyone good enough to run this old place, though. But that may have to do with the fact that he spent so much time here with me here. I feel like if I leave here, I’m leaving him behind, and I promised I’d never leave him behind.” Mr. Higgins coughed and turned away to keep from being too emotional in front of the other alpha. He breathed hard through his nose to keep it together.

“I think he’d understand, Paul,” Leo supplied softly. “He’d want you to be as happy as you could be while you’re apart.”

Mr. Higgins scrubbed his hands over his face. He took one more big breath in before exhaling, his head ducked and his shoulders slumped as he turned back around. “You might be right.”

Leonardo smiled and reached into his coat to produce an ivory envelope. “Before you go, why don’t you come to a party I’m throwing at the end of this week. It’s a charity thing. It might help you take your mind off of things here for a little bit.”

Mr. Higgins accepted the envelope with a nod and a quiet, “Thank you.”

“Just call me if you plan on coming. I’ll meet you at the door.” With that, Leo walked out of the store, the bell ringing behind him. Mr. Higgins leaned on the counter, opening his invitation.

_Alpha Leonardo DiCaprio respectfully requests your presence Friday the twenty-first of November at six o’clock in the evening. If you are able, please bring a donation for the City Memorial Orphanage._

Mr. Higgins slipped the invitation back into its envelope and tucked the envelope next to the cash register. He’d look at it later.

“Are you doing alright, Mr. Higgins?” Niall asked emerging from where he’d been observing Leonardo from a far aisle.

Mr. Higgins managed a watery smile for the beta doctor. “I think leaving town for a while may be good for me. What do you think?”

“I think that sounds like a nice idea. Who will run the store while you’re away?”

Mr. Higgins shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. Do you know anyone desperate for a job standing behind a counter all day?”

Niall chuckled, feeling a bit better seeing Mr. Higgins showing a few more of his true colors. “No one immediately comes to mind, but I’m sure I could help you find someone. Did you see the paper today?”

“I did,” Mr. Higgins said as his face slowly fell back to the flat expression he’d worn these past months. “I’m not quite sure that I fully agree with the decision. I do see where you all are coming from, I just...I’m not sure it’s what’s for the best.”

“Thought you might say that,” Niall said. “All us _radicals_  (the term said in a more self-deprecating way) want are opportunities, choices. We’re not looking to overthrow the power or anything like that.”

“Some of you are, though, and that’s what has everyone else alarmed.”

“We don’t exactly approve of those true radicals. They’ve got great ideas, but they’re going about it in the wrong way. They’re hindering what we’re trying to do.”

“Are you saying you aren’t a radical, Mr. Horan?” Mr. Higgins asked with a bit of a teasing tone.

“I’m a radical alright, just a bit more...moderate in my actions.”

“Still, any radical, moderate or extreme, makes people like Leonardo and other old families uneasy.”

Niall sighed as if this was something he’d discussed too many times before. “I know. I wish they’d see that we aren’t trying to take anything away from them. What do you think of the city’s decision?”

“I think it’s a good one,” Mr. Higgins admitted. “Joey would have been running around screaming about how happy he was. He probably would have asked to go back to school so he could read and write a little better and maybe learn a bit of math. I would have let him too. I never could have said no to him.” Mr. Higgins fiddled with the corner of the newspaper spread before him. “Guess I’ve got more radical feelings in me than traditional ones.”

“I think you’re spending too much time with me, Harry, and Liam,” Niall joked. “We’re rubbing off on you. I don’t think Joey would have gone back to school, though.”

Mr. Higgins looked up with a puzzled expression on his face. “Why not?”

“He’d never want to be away from you for so long. Knowing you were here all by your lonesome would have been horrible for him. You’d drop him off at school, and then the moment you unlock the front door here, he’d be barging in shouting about how he couldn’t believe you left him there all by himself and just how was he supposed to be able to focus when you were moping around here like an abandoned puppy and how could you ever think he loved learning what three times three was more than you. Joey would have never stayed at school.”

Mr. Higgins actually chuckled. That’s exactly what Joey would have done. “He was always telling me I manipulated him through our bond.”

“Yeah, but he manipulated you just as much.”

Mr. Higgins wiped a tear off his cheek as he smiled. “That he did, Niall. That he did.”

  



	12. We Just Have to Hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Thanksgiving, lovelies!

Annie sat at the head of the kitchen table silently sipping her tea as the staff members talked quietly to each other over dinner. The staff was handling Zayn’s disappearance better than she’d thought they would. Though Zayn had only been with them a month before he’d been taken, but they’d all fallen in love with him from the moment they’d been introduced. The staff had been so good with the shy boy, keeping their distance and waving and smiling when he did meet their eyes. They’d kept the house running smoothly as Annie burned more food than she ever had while she worried about Zayn and Liam in equal measures. She put her tea cup down and looked around the table once more, her eyes suddenly searching. “Dave, where’s your nephew?” Annie asked one of the gardeners.

Dave looked at the empty chair next to him. “He left me a note explaining he had to go home. There was some emergency at home. I’ve been waiting to hear just what the emergency was, but I guess it’s a little too crazy at home for him to give me an update. We were almost done anyway, so his leaving wasn’t that big of a deal.”

“Right, right. Okay,” Annie said softly. “I’m going to take lunch into the library. Sophie, will you clean up the kitchen once everyone finishes?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Sophie, a member of the kitchen staff, said.

Annie put the food on a tray and carried it into the library where Harry, Louis, Niall, Liam, and Ms. Harmon were sitting around a low coffee table looking over Harry’s notes. Louis stood to help Annie lay out the food. The housekeeper stood, chewing her lip. It couldn’t be of any importance, but Harry had said that no detail was insignificant. “Harry, I think...well, I don’t know if it’s important or not, but...we had a gardener, Dave, bring his nephew in to help with the winter landscaping. He was here when Zayn came, but now he’s gone too. There was apparently an emergency at home. He was never formally hired, which was why he didn’t immediately come to mind. I’m not sure where he lives, exactly, but Dave would. I just thought I’d mention it.” Harry jotted down a note: _Gardener’s nephew. Check him out._

“Thank you, Annie. I’ll look into it.”

The housekeeper nodded. “Will you all need anything else?”

“I think that’s it,” Niall said with a smile.

Annie pulled Louis to the side with a pointed look at Liam. “Make sure Liam eats something,” she whispered to the omega. Louis nodded, his face serious now that he had a mission. “I’m in the kitchen. You know how to get me if you need anything.” With that, she was gone, leaving them to discuss the case.

“Are you sure you saw what you saw, Harry?” Ms. Harmon asked.

“Louis and I wouldn’t be able to mistake that house. We saw Leo’s house at the top of the hill,” Harry said.

“How can you be so sure? You were in a car at the bottom of a hill and the sun was setting,” Ms. Harmon pressed.

Louis piped up. “The stained glass window. He’s got this room upstairs, it’s like a parlor type study thing. There’s this extravagant stained glass window on the back wall. We could see this window from the road. It’s actually a little disturbing.” Louis shuddered at the memory of the mirror. Leonardo had taken Harry and Louis on a grand tour of the house when they’d visited one day. The glass showed a picture of an alpha standing proudly with a hand on the back of an omega’s neck. The omega in the picture was on his knees with his head bowed and hands behind his back. It was the oldest traditionalist values captured in such pretty colored glass. It was a stance of complete dominance and submission. Louis had never been on his knees for Harry unless he wanted to be there. The omega in Leo’s picture didn’t even have a mouth while everyone else in the picture did. Louis couldn’t imagine if he was in a relationship with an alpha who expected him to be silent unless spoken to.

“So we know it’s Leo’s house,” Ms. Harmon said. “It’s still circumstantial.”

“But what about what that guard told Harry?” Louis asked petulantly.

“A judge might think he was just trying to slander his ex-employer.”

“So what you’re saying is we have nothing that will even give us an excuse to look around inside for some hard evidence,” Harry muttered.

“If Leonardo is the one responsible,” Ms. Harmon said, “he did a very good job of making it hard to get caught.”

“Is there a City Memorial Orphanage?” Niall asked the group suddenly. All eyes turned to the doctor confused as to how an orphanage was exactly relevant to their current conversation. “I only ask because DiCaprio invited Mr. Higgins to a charity event for City Memorial Orphanage. I’ve been trying to think if I’ve ever heard of it before.”

“I’ve never heard of it either,” Ms. Harmon said as Harry jotted down the new information. “Do you know if he’s going to attend the event?”

“I haven’t talked to him since he’s been invited.”

“That’s our way in,” Harry said.

Ms. Harmon nodded. “Exactly.”

“What if it is just a charity event?” Louis asked quietly looking guilty that he even brought up that possibility.

“We won’t know unless he goes,” Liam said quietly, shocking everyone by speaking for the first time all day. “Do you trust what the guard told you?” he asked Harry.

“I do,” Harry affirmed.

“Will Mr. Higgins even be up for this?” Ms. Harmon asked.

“It’s worth a shot,” Liam said. “I’ll go call him. He can come over and we can discuss it with him.” Liam pushed himself out of the chair that he hadn’t properly left since Zayn was taken and walked out of the library.

The group left behind stared at his empty seat. “I shouldn’t have said what I did,” Louis said quietly. “I think it upset him.”

Harry coaxed his boy into his lap. “He knew it was a possibility anyway. You’re okay.” Harry rubbed Louis’ back, soothing the boy’s worry as they sat quietly thinking over everything they’d talked about today. Harry was convinced that Leonardo DiCaprio was the culprit behind Zayn’s kidnapping. The alpha may not have come into this library and taken the boy himself, but he was the mastermind behind it all. He’d have to have Mr. Higgins see if he could see any visible rash on anyone. He’d also need a description of what the place looks like, how present Leonardo is, how to find the auction area when entering the house. (Harry was assuming the auction wouldn’t be held in the main house where unrelated guests came and went.) Liam returned before Harry could add any more tasks to his list. “Is he coming?”

“Yes. I sent my driver to pick him up.” Liam settled into his chair, pulling the blankets around him. He picked up his so far barely touched plate and started to eat with a little more vigor than he had in the past few days. Everyone now stared in a bit of shock. They’d thought only the return of Zayn would bring the return of Liam’s appetite. Apparently he only needed a bit of solid hope.

They didn’t have to wait long for Mr. Higgins to arrive. Annie led the grocery store owner into the library asking him if he needed anything. She checked the teapot already in the library, and brought a fresh pot in. She smiled when she saw Liam’s plate was half-eaten instead of barely touched. Annie gave Louis a grateful smile before she disappeared once more.

“Hello Mr. Higgins,” Niall greeted. “How are you today?”

“I’m okay. I’ve been talking to my parents about coming to stay with them for a little bit,” Mr. Higgins said. “What is it exactly that you wanted to talk about? Liam wasn’t very specific on the phone.”

Ms. Harmon looked to Harry to continue. The law enforcer shifted in his seat keeping Louis in his lap. “What is said in this room can’t be repeated. Do you understand?”

“I understand,” Mr. Higgins said.

“Liam, do you want to explain it, or shall I?” Harry asked softly. Liam just waved Harry along, content in his hopeful silence. “Zayn was kidnaped a few days ago. We’ve been investigating, and have promising information regarding who committed the crime. We think that…” Harry paused. It was a huge accusation to make, and if it didn’t turn out to be true it would ruin his credibility. “We think that Leonardo DiCaprio is behind this.”

Mr. Higgins looked at them each critically in turn. Liam easily held the man’s stare with eyes that were dull. Niall nodded as Mr. Higgins considered him, supporting Harry’s statement fully. Harry’s eyes held his steadily, confident in his theory. Louis snuggled closer to Harry, unused to such a calculating look from the grocery store owner. Ms. Harmon’s gaze surpassed Mr. Higgins’ in intensity. Mr. Higgins sighed and turned to Harry. “Niall told you about the invitation?” Harry nodded. “I know you have more than the rumors. They’re true aren’t they?”

“For the most part,” Harry said.

“What do you need me to do?” Mr. Higgins said, his face hard, his voice harder.

“We need you to accept the invitation, rescue Zayn, and be observant. We can use the information you give us will be an unbiased third-party account that will go far with a judge,” Harry explained.

“Just trying to keep things rational,” Mr. Higgins said, “but how do you know Leonardo still has Zayn?”

“We don’t,” Liam said. “We just have to hope.”

“Good enough for me,” Mr. Higgins said.

“Harry and I will supply you with money. It’ll be traceable so that if he uses it somewhere else, we’ll know,” Ms. Harmon explained. “Are you okay with this?”

“Absolutely.” Mr. Higgins said with a nod.

 

* * *

 

The sun remained safely hidden beneath the clouds as the naked trees reached for the the sky. A bitter wind rolled off the surrounding mountains and swirled angrily down the main road. Mr. Higgins closed the apartment door and walked down the outdoor steps that led to the main road. He and his mate had lived above the store. There were so many memories in the rooms above the store. Somedays he just rolled out of bed and went straight into the store so that he wouldn’t have to be alone in the rooms that once sang with his mate’s off-key songs and infectious giggles.  It would be weird to not live there when he went to be with his parents. Perhaps he would be more miserable away from all of memories than he was in their midst.

A car was waiting for him outside the store. The driver stood next to an open door, and greeted the store owner with, “Good morning, Mr. Higgins. I’m here to pick you up. Alpha DiCaprio sent me.”

“Thank you. Do I look alright? I’ve never been to a charity event before.” Mr. Higgins held his arms up and spun for an inspection. When he looked to the driver for the answer, the man was looking like a deer in the headlights. “I really do want your opinion,” Mr. Higgins assured him.

“You look fine, sir,” the driver said, obviously flustered by the question.

Mr. Higgins got in the car and gave himself a pep talk as the ride went along. He could do this. All he had to do was get Zayn (if he was there) and then get out as fast as possible. He just had to act normally. He tapped his pocket to check that he indeed had the money Harry had given him to use. He’d looked at it from a vendor’s point of view, and could see nothing that distinguished it from any other coins he’d ever seen. That was the part that worried him the most. What would he do if they realized he was working undercover? Mr. Higgins didn’t let himself think about that, pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind. (He’d gotten good at compartmentalizing over the past few months.) He had to keep calm and get Zayn out of there. Thinking of the shy omega he’d seen at the store, Mr. Higgins fought the urge to be sick. He’d heard the stories and the rumors and the gossip. Harry was certain there was truth behind these stories. How much truth? What condition would he find Zayn in? Mr. Higgins would not be responsible for his actions if he found Zayn in a less than acceptable state. He hadn’t known the boy very long or very well, but the moment he saw Zayn’s eyes go wide as he had his first peppermint stick, he knew he’d be liable to spoil him. Mr. Higgins had a soft spot for the shy ones.

Suddenly his thoughts were being interrupted as his door was opened. Mr. Higgins got out, smoothing his coat as he looked up the impressive front staircase at the mansion before him. At the top of the steps, standing by the open front door, waited Leonardo DiCaprio. Mr. Higgins kept the angry, almost betrayed, growl he wanted to share to himself. Liam and Zayn needed all of his focus, all of his good manners. Mr. Higgins ascended the stairs as quickly as he could without tripping himself. “Paul!” Leonardo boomed as the grocery store owner reached the top of the stairs. “I’m so glad you could make it.” He pulled Mr. Higgins into a friendly hug. “You’re just in time. Things are about to get started.”

Mr. Higgins allowed himself to be ushered down the main hall whose far wall was pushed open revealing a passage that appeared long, the end curving out of sight. Mr. Higgins replied noncommittally to DiCaprio’s small talk as they walked down the passage together. He needed to focus; he had a purpose.


	13. Forgive Me?

“Get up! Get up! Get up!”

Zayn snatched his hand away from the girl next door as loud banging and unnecessary shouting woke him up from the half-sleep he’d come to accept as actual sleep here. He was disoriented as the shouting and banging continued. What could possibly be going on? Had someone done something wrong? Were they all going to be punished?

“Rise and shine sleeping bitches!”

Suddenly the man with the greasy blonde ponytail was leering at Zayn from the other side of the bars. He had a ring of keys hanging from one hand while the other had a bucket containing something that was a mystery to Zayn. The omega curled in on himself to keep the man’s eyes off of him. Chuckling, Greasy Ponytail turned away and started shouting again, “Today’s the day! Time to get ready for the party!” Greasy Ponytail walked away, heading towards the front of the dungeon. Zayn could hear him ordering people around as locks clicked and doors squeaked open. Tears welled up in his eyes fast as the clicking and the squeaking got closer. He knew he was going to this “party” today. Leonardo had told him so.

_They stood in a line, hunched over and shivering as Leonardo slowly walked up and down the line, his eyes calculating and assessing. “Kneel,” he commanded, his Alpha Voice ringing in their ears as they wordlessly complied. With their heads bowed, they couldn’t see the white-toothed grin that spread across his face. “You’ve done well with them, Beta Harrison. These fifteen will do nicely at this weeks party. Make sure they eat enough and are clean.” Directions to the beta delivered, Leonardo considered the line of omegas one last time. He slowly walked to one with black hair and olive skin. He took the boy’s chin in his hand and forced the boy to look at him. “I expect you to behave, kitten. You’ll fetch a better price if you do. Do you understand me?”_

_“Yes, alpha,” the boy said, his voice sounding almost choked._

_Satisfied, DiCaprio turned from the omegas and went upstairs._

_“Get up and go back to your rooms,” Beta Harrison barked._

_The omegas rose to their feet and shuffled back to their cells._

Zayn began to panic as his cell door swung open. Greasy Ponytail stood before him with an evil grin plastered on his face. The man still had the bucket in his hand. Accompanying the keys, he now held a sponge and piece of fabric. Zayn couldn’t breathe, and didn’t want to as Greasy Ponytail approached him and crouched at his feet. His chained ankle was roughly grabbed and pulled out so Greasy Ponytail could unlock the cuff. Zayn couldn’t help the shriek of pain as his ankle was jostled so violently. The omegas’ cry only made the evil grin grow larger. “On your feet,” Greasy Ponytail ordered standing and waiting for Zayn to comply. The omega fought to keep the whimpers of pain in as he struggled to push himself to his feet. He couldn’t help the tears that stung his eyes as he accidentally put too much weight on his bad ankle. Taking a shaky breath, Zayn fought his mounting panic as he faced Greasy Ponytail. He couldn’t let this man see him scared. That was something his neighbor had told him. He had to be strong. Strong for his mate; strong for himself. Zayn could be strong for Liam. Maybe whoever bought him (if someone bought him) would listen to him and return him to Liam once they realized he was mated. A mate was something sacred. You shouldn’t mess with that bond. _These people aren’t like other people_ , Zayn morbidly thought. _They won’t care if you’re mated. You’re their property._

Zayn was ripped from his thoughts as he was doused in cold water. He spluttered and gasped as his body scrambled to figure out what just happened. The now empty bucket in Greasy Ponytail’s hand dropped to the floor with a loud clatter. He crowded Zayn’s space and began to scrub him with the sponge. It was rough against Zayn’s skin, scratching away the dirt and grime that had built up in his time here. Zayn started to struggled, but Greasy Ponytail growled and his ankle protested the attempted backwards steps.

_“Don’t struggle tomorrow. Make this as easy on yourself as you can.”_

_“But I don’t want to be sold. They’ll take me away. I’ll never see Liam again. I can’t do that. I can’t leave him. They can’t take me away. Oh...no, no, no! Don’t make me go! Please, please don’t make me go.”_

_“Zayn, breathe. You’re no good to anyone if you don’t breathe. It’s going to be hard, but you don’t want the punishment for misbehaving. Trust me.”_

_“I trust you.”_

_“You will see Liam again. You will get out of here.”_

_“How can you say that? Liam doesn’t even know where I am. He’s so worried about me and I can’t tell him that I’m okay.”_

_“You have to have hope. If you don’t have hope, then all is lost. You will see your mate again. Liam is doing everything in his power to find you and bring you back home. It’s just what mates do. It’s natural.”_

Greasy Ponytail grabbed his arm, his fingers biting into his skin. “Be still,” he ordered. Zayn fought the urge to go completely limp and hang from Greasy Ponytail’s hand. He remained still on his feet, head bowed like he’d been taught to do when in the presence of higher classes. The scrubbing continued until Zayn was deemed clean enough. Greasy Ponytail produced a towel from his back pocket and rubbed the remained water off of Zayn before draping the piece of fabric he’d brought in over the boy’s shoulders. Greasy ponytail pulled a comb from one of his pockets and roughly pulled it through Zayn’s hair. “Beta Harrison!” He shouted once he’d done his own inspection of Zayn.

A man, tall and imposing, walked to their cell. His dark eyes fell on Greasy Ponytail first. “Yes, Beta Starr?”

“He’s ready for final inspection,” Beta Starr said turning Zayn to face Beta Harrison. Zayn wasn’t sure if Beta Harrison wanted him to keep his head bowed or look up at him. Zayn opted for the former option just to be on the safe side. He could be a good boy if he tried hard enough.

“Look at me,” Beta Harrison ordered.

Zayn raised his eyes and face to look at the beta. The man slowly circled his finger in the air signaling Zayn to turn. With a wince, Zayn began to turn for the beta. Beta Harrison hummed when Zayn was facing him once again. “Good, Beta Starr. Strap him up and get him in line. We’re almost ready,” said Beta Harrison. The man left Zayn with Beta Starr. The omega was roughly grabbed from behind, his arms pulled up so that a brown leather belt could be wrapped around his waist. His arms fell to the side once they were released so that Beta Starr could tie the belt around the omega and to the belt around his own waist. “Make sure you catch a fair price,” Beta Starr hissed in Zayn’s ear. “I get a cut, and I want a nice sum of money before December this year. Might take my family to the city for Christmas.”

Zayn felt like he was going to be sick and Beta Starr led the way out of his cell to fall in line behind the others. He looked into the neighboring cell as he stumbled passed. His neighbor was indeed a girl whose hair was as dark as his own and eyes that seemed to be as bright as the blue of an early morning sky. Her pale skin seemed to glow like an angel Zayn had seen in one of the stories he and Liam had read while on a train. As she blew Zayn a kiss, the omega couldn’t help but think of her as his own guardian angel.

 

* * *

 

The passage was lit by these light bulbs that flickered and buzzed. They perplexed Mr. Higgins. Couldn’t Leonardo afford better electricity with all the money his businesses brought in? Leonardo noticed, amidst his mindless chatter about shipping, Mr. Higgins’ fascination with the flickering light bulbs. “I’ve been meaning to get an electrician out here, but things have been a bit busy lately. I’ve been expecting a shipment from Spain. It hasn’t arrived yet, which has been the cause of more frustration since the shipment isn’t actually worth that much…” Mr. Higgins tuned the other alpha out as he began to talk about his “shipments”. The grocery store owner had come to the conclusion that the shipment was of some important secrecy, or possibly omegas taken from Spain. Either way, it almost sounded like DiCaprio was talking in riddles.

Looking at the man next to him, Mr. Higgins couldn’t help but hope that the rumors about DiCaprio weren’t true. He’d seen Leo grow up as his father lead the town. He was a smart person, with ambitions and fantastic dreams for his family’s name and legitimate shipping business. (That could also be a front for more omega-trafficking, but the DiCaprio family shipping did stock over half of Mr. Higgins’ store.) It would be such a shame to know for sure that Leonardo DiCaprio was just as dastardly as the gossip suggested. The farther down the stone passage the two of them went, the less and less Mr. Higgins believed (if he’d ever believed it since planning with Harry and the others) that this event was actually a charity event.

“I could introduce you to the other guests, if you like,” Leonardo said as they reached the end of the passage.

Mr. Higgins’ heart began to race as he came face to face with a large black door whose silver handle gleamed in the wavering light. “Oh, there’s no need for that,” Mr. Higgins said in response to Leonardo’s offer of introductions. “I’d prefer to mingle and introduce myself if that’s alright.”

“That’s perfectly fine,” Leo assured him. “Shall we?” He placed his hand on the silver handle, twisted it, and pushed the door open.

Mr. Higgins and Leonardo stood at the top of a tall staircase that descended into a shocking large circular room lacking windows or any other ties to the outside. The dark walls were divided by large fireplaces with yellow-orange flames warming the room that would no doubt be freezing without their help. Between the chimneys, two rows of lights gave a bright glow to the scene. Men and women milled on the floor below, chatting and drinking champagne with merry smiles on their faces. Opposite of the large staircase was another black door behind a small stage. Mr. Higgins speculated what could possibly be behind the second door, but with the knowledge of what this was, he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

Shaking his thoughts out of his head for the moment, Mr. Higgins began descending the stairs. His eyes roamed the crowd, alighting on a few familiar faces. He recognized a could of law enforcers, a banker, and the postmaster at the post office. He wished he could say he was surprised by the familiar faces, but nothing about their presence here was shocking. They’d been vocal about their ultra-traditionalist views and their derision for radical thoughts was well known. Mr. Higgins didn’t recognize most of the faces. He knew Leonardo had other friends from neighboring towns and cities. Mr. Higgins wanted to be nothing more than a face in the crowd to these people. As he’d told Niall and the others many times, he wasn’t exactly opposed to their ideas, but he was a traditionalist at heart and therefore saw things differently than they did. Their differences led to many spirited discussions, but his opinion on this sort of thing fell in line with theirs. Omegas were not property, and should not be treated as such.

“Champagne, Alpha?”

Mr. Higgins stirred from his thoughts as a servant offered him a drink. The boy was dressed in a black suit that seemed slightly too big. His hands were encased in white gloves. One hand was behind his back while the other offered up a tray with champagne glasses on them. His head was bowed and his voice was soft. It was unnerving to see such a submissive pose. Mr. Higgins was used to the staff at Harry’s and Liam’s houses. There the staff looked you in the eye and acknowledged they’d heard you verbally before doing what they were asked. He’d seen both the other alphas consult their staff when it came to household matters they knew they were too ignorant of to handle alone. He liked the way their houses were run (a more radical view he’d admit), so seeing such a submissive servant came as a bit of a shock. Mr. Higgins recovered his composure, hoping his shock hadn’t registered visually, and took a glass without acknowledging the servant. He could play the role of aloof alpha for tonight. He’d ask for Joey’s forgiveness later.

Leonardo took his spot on stage as Mr. Higgins swirled his champagne in its glass. He probably shouldn’t actually have any if he was here for information gathering and omega rescuing. “Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen,” Leonardo boomed gathering the attention of everyone in the room. “I’m so glad you were all able to make it here despite the cold temperatures we’re experiencing. Winter has finally arrived.” A few chuckles followed his winter remark. DiCaprio let them settle before he continued. “Do we have any first timers with us today?” From his spot on the edge of the crowd, Mr. Higgins raised his hand along with a few others further in the crowd. “We welcome you. You are all in for a treat today. We recently acquired some new faces, but before we get to that, I’ll go over the rules. Don’t worry; they aren’t that hard to follow.” More chuckles; another pause. “So the first part of today’s event is browsing. You won’t be able to touch the merchandise, but if you want to inspect something further, you may tell the supervisors and they will assist you. Once the browsing is done, the proper auction will begin and you will be able to bid. As always, the merchandise goes to the highest bidder. Today we will see fifteen omegas. Any questions?” Leonardo waited to see if there were any questions before continuing. “Excellent. Let’s bring them out.”

Leonardo waved to a tall, dark haired man standing to the left of the stage. The man turned and went to the door Mr. Higgins hadn’t wanted to see behind. He pulled it open and the crowd began to murmur excitedly. Mr. Higgins could not join in their enthusiasm. Fifteen burly betas strode out of the door. Behind each of them hobbled an omega in an off-white tunic. The omegas were attached to the betas by brown cords tied around their waists. Every omega kept their head bowed, and as they were placed before their supervisor in their spots, they clasped their hands behind their backs. It was something out of a history book. Mr. Higgins hadn’t seen omegas posed like this in many years. The last time he’d seen an omega stand like this was in the early weeks of the store. He and Joey had just moved to town, a place more forward thinking than their home. Joey was stocking shelves while Mr. Higgins was finishing up with one of their first customers. The bell had rung to welcome a new customer. Mr. Higgins had felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as the new customer came in. He’d called Joey to him, the boy appearing at his side almost immediately. The new customer was an alpha who was followed by an omega with her head bent and her hands behind her back. Mr. Higgins hated the sight of her like that. He couldn’t imagine ever keeping Joey silent and behind him like that. Here, at Leonardo’s auction, Mr. Higgins realized he was going to have to play the role of an alpha like that. He was above everyone in this room. Omegas were property for him to buy and possess. Placing his still full glass of champagne on a passing tray, Mr. Higgins began to browse.

He began at the left end of the arch the omegas were standing in. The first was a girl who didn’t look like she was older than seventeen or eighteen. He thought he saw a yellow bruise peeking out from the shoulder of her tunic, but he couldn’t be sure. Next to her was a boy with sandy blonde hair. He looked like a slight breeze could blow him away. Mr. Higgins shook his head as if he was dismissing the boy in his head. The third omega was a boy with red hair. Mr. Higgins paused in front of him, rubbing his chin as if he was actually thinking about making a purchase. “Will he look at me?” he asked the boy’s supervisor.

“Ask him to and he will.”

“Look at me,” Mr. Higgins demanded.

The boy’s head rose from the floor so that he was looking up at Mr. Higgins. He had big green eyes that lacked any sort of interest or life. Mr. Higgins wondered how long he’d been here and how many auctions he’d been through. Moving on, Mr. Higgins sent cursory glances to the next few omegas barely stopping to register if they were a boy or a girl. He was drawing closer to a larger group of guests. He had an idea of who was capturing their attention, but he sincerely hoped he was wrong. It would be much harder for him to succeed if they were interested in who he was afraid they were. The group moved on as Mr. Higgins completed his approach. One of the patrons viewing the omega before him stayed behind to talk to the supervisor, but Mr. Higgins paid them no mind. He was completely focused on the omega standing with his head bowed and his hands behind his back. The boy looked thin, like he hadn’t been properly fed while he’d been here. His black hair was scraped back out of his face, or it would be out of his face if he was holding his head up like he should be. The belted tunic hung off of his body, the sleeve falling just so, allowing Mr. Higgins to get a good view of a green colored bruise that appeared to spread to the boy’s chest. A flash of anger surged through Mr. Higgins, but he kept his features calm yet curious. He couldn’t afford to ruin this; the boy in front of him depended on his control. “Look at me,” Mr. Higgins ordered, softer than he intended. The alpha didn’t miss the omega’s slight jump at the sound of his voice. Ever so slowly, the omega raised his head, eyes meeting Mr. Higgins. The grocer felt his breath freeze in his chest. Unlike the red-headed boy’s eyes, the brown eyes looking up at him now were full of fear. Mr. Higgins couldn’t help it when his hand reached out to cup the boy’s chin and gently stroke his jaw. He wanted to offer any comfort he could at the moment.

“Breaking the rules I see,” a voice teased.

Mr. Higgins snatched his hand away and turned from the omega. Leonardo stood smiling behind him. “Sorry. He’s just…” Mr. Higgins felt saying anything about the omega he’d touched would seem too sentimental.

Leonardo held up his hand and chuckled. “No worries, friend. I know what you mean about him.” DiCaprio nodded to the omega behind them. “He’s irresistible. Thought I might take him as my own, but with a face like his...I couldn’t take that opportunity away from someone else; someone who might deserve him more than me.”

Mr. Higgins didn’t miss the implications in that sentence. “He’s my favorite so far,” the grocer said, turning to “look” at the others. Leonardo accompanied him, pointing out distinctive features on other omegas. Mr. Higgins simply went through the motions, offering comments and opinions on what DiCaprio showed him as they completed the arc of omegas together. Mr. Higgins joined the crowd once more as everyone finished their browsing. He touched the money in his pocket again. He hoped it would be enough.

Leonardo leapt onto the stage once again, immediately gaining everyone’s attention. “So what did you all think?” he asked. There was a loud chorus of praise and cheers. Leo raised both hands to quiet them after a few moments. He had a rather pleased grin on his face. “I thought you might like them. Are you all ready for the auction?” Another cheer rose from the crowd. Mr. Higgins tried to blend in, but his nerves were starting to get the best of him. Leonardo motioned to the supervisor of the first girl Mr. Higgins had looked at. “We’ll start with Ava. The bidding starts at 100 pieces.” Mr. Higgins stood quietly while others chatted as the girl was bid on. She was sold at 350 pieces. The red-headed omega was brought up next. He went at only 200 pieces. Like when he’d been browsing, the next few omegas were a blur of murmured bids and grossly low prices. “This is Zayn,” Leonardo announced as the omega who had captured most of the attention today was dragged onto the stage. Mr. Higgins’ palms began to sweat. The crowd was silent now, anticipation thrumming through them as the most exciting omega today was up for auction. “We’ll start him at 300 pieces.”

“400!”

“550!”

“575!”

“650,” Mr. Higgins shouted.

“700!”

Mr. Higgins countered. “750!” His bid caused a wave of murmurs to swell in the crowd. They couldn’t remember a bid so high on any omega Leonardo had auctioned off.

“800!”

Mr. Higgins felt a growl rip through him. A few of the guests around him sent wary looks his way. He shouted his next bid, “1,000 pieces.” This time a collective gasp passed through the crowd. No one had ever bid that high on an _omega_.

Leonardo smiled at Mr. Higgins. The other bidder, a faceless member of the crowd, placed no more bids on Zayn. Even he wasn’t crazy enough to waste _1,000 pieces_ on an omega. “Sold to that gentleman for 1,000 pieces. Please follow Zayn’s supervisor, Beta Starr, to the back room and you can complete your purchase there.” The crowd parted for Mr. Higgins. He heard them whisper, but he didn’t care. He was fuming. One-thousand pieces was not near enough to Zayn’s true worth. Mr. Higgins knew Zayn was priceless, but if he’d had to put a price on the boy, it certainly would have been higher than a thousand pieces. He did as Leonardo had instructed him, following Beta Starr through the door they omegas had come out of. The door led to a small annex with only a few lights and a desk on the other side. The beta that had opened the door sat behind the desk with a pen in his hand. He smiled warmly at Mr. Higgins as the alpha stepped into the room. “How will you be paying, Alpha?”

“Coins,” Mr. Higgins replied, pulling the bag of money from his pocket. The beta behind the desk began to count out the money while Zayn’s supervisor untethered him. The supervisor passed the cord that had connected Zayn to him to Mr. Higgins. Silently, Mr. Higgins accepted what he could only call Zayn’s leash with a cold glance at the supervisor. The beta behind the desk handed him the still mostly full bag of coins to him with the same warm smile. “Do you need anything else from me?” Mr. Higgins asked.

“No, Alpha. Do you need your car brought around?” the beta behind the desk asked.

“Alpha DiCaprio sent a car for me.”

“We’ll have it brought around for you. Beta Starr will take you back upstairs, unless you’d like to stay for the rest of the event.”

“No, I don’t think I will stay. If you could give my regards to Alpha DiCaprio, I would appreciate it.”

The beta behind the desk nodded. “Of course.”

Mr. Higgins followed Beta Starr up a different staircase that lead to another passage that returned him to the main house. It was a slower process since Zayn couldn’t properly walk and Mr. Higgins didn’t feel like rushing him along. Beta Starr pulled open the front door and bid Mr. Higgins goodbye before closing the front door. The car was waiting for them, the driver standing with the door open. Mr. Higgins debated whether he should pick Zayn up or if he should force him to walk down the stairs. He did still have an appearance to uphold, and he knew that servants talked. He decided to pick the boy up. Zayn was light in his arms as he descended the stairs. Unceremoniously, he dumped Zayn on the floor of the car. (While he didn’t care what the driver thought, he was afraid Beta Starr might still be watching and would most definitely talk about the kindness Mr. Higgins extended to the omega he’d just bought.) He didn’t miss the gasp of pain Zayn let escape as he was dropped. The driver closed the door once the alpha was seated. The car rumbled to life and they were finally pulling away from the front steps.

Only when they were fully out of sight of Leonardo’s mansion did Mr. Higgins relax with a heavy sigh. He paid no mind to the driver as he pulled Zayn off the floor and into his laugh as carefully as he could. The omega was tense in his arms, and Mr. Higgins didn’t blame him. Zayn had never known him to be cruel or rough and dumping him onto the floor of the car hadn’t exactly been the kindest. Keeping one arm around Zayn’s thin waist, Mr. Higgins fished in his pocket for the thing he’d brought in case he’d found Zayn. “Forgive me?” he asked softly as he pulled a peppermint stick from his pocket.

Zayn whimpered as his body sagged against Mr. Higgins. Without looking at the grocer, Zayn’s hand curled around the red and white candy.


	14. That's Too Bad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to take this time to appreciate every single one of you that has left me a comment. They've been so helpful and supportive. I love getting your reactions to the happenings of this story. Thank you all so much! You'll never know how much it means to me when I get a comment!
> 
> I appreciate every single one of you that has been reading and will hopefully keep reading this story. Your support has really made the (almost) 50,000 words possible. I still have the rest of the day to finish, and I think I'll be able to thanks to you all! I love you all so much and simply don't know what I'd do without you.
> 
> Hugs and kisses for all! XOXO  
> ~Remi

If the driver had an opinion about Mr. Higgins carrying Zayn out of the car as the omega happily sucked on his piece of candy, he didn’t voice it. He simply held the door open and bid farewell to Mr. Higgins before driving away. The alpha was thankful that it was dark out, most of his fellow townspeople having dinner in their homes not bothering to look out their windows at him. “We’re just going to go upstairs for a little bit, okay?” Mr. Higgins whispered to Zayn. The omega just wrapped his arm tighter around Mr. Higgins neck in response. Without another word, Mr. Higgins carried Zayn up the stairs to his apartment above the store. He shifted Zayn’s weight so that he could have a free hand to unlock the door with. Safely inside, Mr. Higgins truly began to breathe comfortably again. He placed Zayn gently on the worn out couch in his living room. “I’m just going to call Harry, okay? Do you need anything?”

“I don’t feel so good,” Zayn mumbled. He groaned and clutched at his stomach dropping his candy on the floor.

Mr. Higgins moved fast, getting Zayn into the bathroom so the boy could get sick in the toilet instead of on the carpet. Zayn’s eyes burned as tears began to fall. He hated getting sick. It made his skin crawl; it was like having an itch he could stop no matter how hard he scratched. Mr. Higgins rubbed the omega’s back and tried his best to soothe him as his body rejected the no doubt too-sweet candy he’d had. “I think that candy was a little too much too fast,” Mr. Higgins murmured.

Zayn just nodded, retreating from the toilet to Mr. Higgins lap. “I want Liam,” he said quietly.

“I know you do, and you’re going to see him really soon. I promise. There’s a couple of things we need to do first, okay?”

“Okay, just don’t leave me alone, please?”

Mr. Higgins’ heart squeezed painfully in his chest. “You got it, kiddo. Let’s get you cleaned up a bit first.” The alpha helped the omega to his feet. Zayn hissed when his ankle took on too much weight. “Just lean on me,” Mr. Higgins told him. Supporting most of Zayn’s weight, Mr. Higgins wet a washcloth and gently rubbed bits of sick from around the boy’s lips. They moved slowly into the kitchen where Mr. Higgins had a phone. He had Zayn sit in a chair while he called Harry. “Harry? This is Mr. Higgins...yes, I’ve got him...no problems whatsoever...please hurry...it was so much worse...alright. Bye.” Mr. Higgins hung up and turned to Zayn. “Would you like some water?”

“Yes, please.”

Mr. Higgins knelt in front of him with a glass of water. “Drink and listen. You’re safe now. Harry’s sent a car. We’re going to go to his house so that we can get you properly cleaned up and have Niall check you out before Liam sees you okay? Those bastards can’t hurt you.” Mr. Higgins ran a hand gently through Zayn’s hair. “Are you hungry? I’m sure I can scrounge up something that won’t upset your tummy.”

Zayn frowned at the thought of food. “I’d rather not just yet.”

“Alright. Let’s go back to the couch, alright? It’s probably more comfortable than this chair.” As the alpha helped him move, Zayn decided not to mention that the kitchen chair had been more comfortable than the floor he’d been living on recently.

 

* * *

 

Harry’s fingers drummed against the top of his desk as he waited for Mr. Higgins’ phone call. It’d been almost two hours since the “party” had started. How long was this going to take? The clock in the corner of the room ticked loudly as another minute passed without word from the grocery store owner. What if something had gone wrong? What if Zayn wasn’t there? What would Harry do then? How could he face Liam with that news? Liam’s _We just have to have hope_ rang through Harry’s head. Had he been foolish with what he’d told Liam? Had he filled his closest friend with false hope only to have to destroy it all when Mr. Higgins returned empty handed and their most promising lead dried up? Harry felt sick at the thought. His arm tightened around Louis who was sitting in his lap fiddling with last week’s newspaper. Louis looked up at Harry and kissed the alpha’s jaw. “It’s all going to be fine,” Louis said for what must have been the millionth time.

“How can you say that?” Harry growled. “We don’t know that Leonardo took Zayn. It could all be coincidental that his house was along that back road and that Zayn had bumped into him before being taken and that there were all those rumors about him. That guard could have been lying, throwing me into a situation I had no business getting into just to protect his ex-employer.”

“We’ve been over this,” Louis huffed. “There’s plenty of reasons to suspect Leo took Zayn, or at least orchestrated the whole thing. Mr. Higgins will call the moment he can. In the meantime, will you tell me if this looks like a boy or some sort of alien? I couldn’t seem to get a smooth circle for the head while you were squeezing me.” Louis held up the newspaper, or at least what used to be a newspaper. He’d cut it into a chain of little people all holding hands. Harry suspected they were supposed to be people. Their heads were not even close to being round. They were more triangular.

“They look like aliens with triangles for heads,” Harry told his mate.

“Darn.” Louis frowned at his latest craft failure before folding the chain up and placing it alongside the scrap newspaper on Harry’s desk. “I’ve been thinking of taking up knitting. What do you think?”

It was such an odd question. Harry gave his mate a rather puzzled look. “Knitting? Who’d teach you how to knit?”

“Mr. Barnes of course. He made us those scarves last year for Christmas remember?”

Harry snorted both at the memory of the terribly itchy scarves and the idea of Louis learning how to knit. “Lou, you don’t have the patience to knit much less learn how. You and Mr. Barnes would kill each other.”

“We would not!” Louis cried indignantly. “We get along perfectly well when you’re not here.”

“I’m sure you do, but he’s not trying to teach you anything,” Harry said.

Louis crossed his arms and pouted. “You’re just a dream crusher aren’t you?” he grumbled.

“On the contrary, I’ve heard I’m a dream maker.”

Louis gasped and smacked Harry’s shoulder. “How inappropriate! We’re waiting for a very important phone call and you’re spouting thinly veiled sex references.”

The teasing smile immediately fell from Harry’s face. “You’re right,” he mumbled eyes now zeroing in on the stoic phone. “Why hasn’t he called yet?”

Louis was about to start the distracting process all over again when the phone trilled loudly through the room. Harry nearly dumped his omega on the floor as he practically tackled the phone. “Hello? Hello?...Mr. Higgins! Have you got him?...Thank God. Were there any problems?...That’s good. I’ll send the car...How bad was it?...Damn...We’ll see each other soon...Bye.” Harry dropped the phone and crushed Louis against his chest. Tears leaked from the corner of his eyes and he tried to take a deep breath to calm himself, but he ended up letting out a relieved sob instead. Louis clung to his mate, allowing himself to hope wishing his mate would give him the answer he was sure he already knew. “He’s safe. Mr. Higgins has him. Zayn’s safe,” Harry murmured. Louis clung tighter as his body released all the tension he’d had since this investigation began. Zayn was going to be okay. He was safe. “Will you tell Sam to pick them up from Mr. Higgins?” Louis nodded, hopping off of Harry’s lap and dashing downstairs. Harry sat back in his chair with a grin spreading slowly across his face. They’d been right about it all. He dragged both his hands over his face. He’d have Niall check Zayn over here and then get him properly cleaned up before seeing Liam. Once the mates were reunited, he didn’t want to have to pull them away from each other for any reason...though maybe Liam should clean Zayn up. He’d ask Zayn about that once Niall had checked on him. Zayn might want Liam there too. He’d let Zayn have the final decision about that too.

Harry rose to his feet almost giddy as he went downstairs to where Niall was waiting in the parlor. He had a few patient files spread out, and he was filling in notes to keep his mind occupied while waiting. The beta looked up when the alpha came in. “Have we heard something?” Niall asked.

Harry wanted to keep a somber face, but the grin and news burst forth once Niall asked him. “He’s safe. Mr. Higgins has him! I’ve had Louis send the car.” Louis appeared at Harry’s side with a matching grin. Niall closed his current file and smiled to himself. He felt like he could start dancing around the room while singing old folk songs rather loudly, but his jubilee was tempered with the thoughts of the condition Zayn was going to be returned to them in. There’d be no doubt of psychological damage, but what of the physical damage? There was only so much he could do for Zayn’s recovery. It would certainly not be easy.

“Are you going to call Liam?” Niall asked Harry choosing to push the more morbid thoughts to the back of his mind for now. Now was time for celebration.

“I thought I’d let Zayn call Liam. It’ll be a nice surprise.”

“That it certainly will,” Niall mused.

Louis shrieked happily clapping his hands and beginning to skip around the room singing the exact song Niall had been thinking of singing moments before.

 

* * *

 

Zayn wrapped himself around Mr. Higgins once again as they went down to the car Harry had sent. The omega was wrapped in a jacket that once belonged to Mr. Higgins’ mate to keep him warm in the cool night. The boy still shivered as they rode to Harry’s home. Mr. Higgins did his best to warm him up, but rubbing his arms and holding him as close as he could seemed to do little.

Soon they were pulling up to Harry’s home. The driver quickly opened the door for them. Mr. Higgins carried Zayn up to the door and didn’t even have to knock. Louis had the door pulled open with a blinding smile plastered on his face. Harry was quick to catch the boy around the waist before he could jump on Zayn and Mr. Higgins. The newly arrived pair stepped into the warm house, the cold air being cut off as the door was closed. Zayn kept his arms tight around Mr. Higgins’ neck and hid his face in the alpha’s neck.

“Why don’t you bring him into the parlor?” Harry suggested softly. “I’ve had tea brought in.”

Mr. Higgins nodded and followed the other three into the parlor. “I’m going to put you down, okay? There’s no reason to be scared. It’s only Harry, Niall, and Louis.” Zayn let himself be put down, but couldn’t find it in himself to look up at the people he considered friends. What were they going to think of him?

“Zayn?” Louis called softly. Zayn took a deep breath before raising his eyes from his nervous fingers to his friend’s face. Louis’ blue eyes were brimming with tears. Zayn wasn’t sure what he should do, but Louis didn’t leave him much time to think about it. “You’re okay,” Louis cried as he tackled Zayn in a tight hug. Though his body was sore and protested such an intense attack, Zayn found himself returning Louis’ hug just as fiercely with tears of his own. He’d thought he’d cried himself dry in Leo’s dungeon, but apparently he had more in him. Louis pulled back to wipe at his eyes and started blubbering, “We’ve been so worried about you. Nothing has been good without you. We’re so, so happy you’re back safely. Just wait ‘til Liam sees you.” Louis smacked a kiss on Zayn’s forehead. “Everything is going to be just fine now that you’re back. I’ll make you a cup of tea.” Louis bounced away. His place was taken by Harry.

The alpha crouched in front of Zayn. He took the omega’s hands and squeezed. “He won’t get away with this, Zayn,” he vowed. “You’re safe now,” Harry said unknowingly repeating Mr. Higgins’ earlier words. Zayn couldn’t find any words to say so he flung himself at Harry. Harry hugged him back tightly for a few moments before making sure Zayn was steady in his seat and letting go. “I want Niall to have a look at you, but I wasn’t sure if you wanted Liam to be here for all that. Do you want to call Liam and have him here while Niall looks over you?” Zayn nodded wildly. He wanted nothing more than to see Liam right this instant. “Alright then,” Harry said with a smile. “I’ll bring you a phone.”

Harry disappeared leaving Zayn with Niall, Louis, and Mr. Higgins. Louis handed him a cup of tea which Zayn accepted a bit nervously. He hadn’t done so well with the peppermint, so he wasn’t sure how his body would react to the tea. “I think you’ll be fine,” Mr. Higgins said quietly. Zayn blew on the tea and took a tentative sip. It was just the way Zayn liked it. He fought the urge to gulp it all down, instead opting for small sips that warmed him slowly. He still had the coat on, but he wasn’t ready to take it off. He knew he’d be cold without it. Harry returned with a phone, the cord dragging along behind him. He quickly set it up, happy the cord was long enough so that Zayn didn’t have to move again. Zayn just stared at the phone in front of him. He didn’t know how to use it. How would he know that the other person on the other side of the call was really Liam? It could be an imposter. “Can’t I just go home?” Zayn asked quietly.

Harry knelt in front of him, taking his hands once again. “Not just yet. I’m scared one of the staff members may have been involved. I’m going to check it out tomorrow. If they are involved and they see you back, things could get ugly and I’d rather that not happen.” Zayn nodded, his eyes still focused on the phone. “Have you ever used one before?” Harry asked.

“No,” Zayn admitted feeling nerves creep in at the thought of actually using the phone.

“It’s not too hard. I’ll start the call and when Liam or maybe Annie picks up, just say hello and talk to them like they’re actually in front of you, okay?”

“How will I know that it’s Liam or Annie? What if it’s someone else?”

“It won’t be. Every phone has a specific number, and when that number is dialed by another phone, it rings. You’ll hear the ringing while you wait for someone to pick up. Then you just talk.” Zayn glanced nervously at the other three before looking at Harry and nodding to tell the alpha he understood. “Alright. After I start the call, we’ll let you have some privacy.”

Zayn squeezed Harry’s hand and let out a scared little cry. “Don’t leave me alone. Don’t, please. They could...please don’t.”

Mr. Higgins began rubbing Zayn’s back as he tried to soothe him. Harry’s thumbs stroked the backs of Zayn’s hands trying to get his grip to relax. “We’ll just be on the other side of that door,” Mr. Higgins said. “If you need us, just shout. We’ll come right in. I promise. No one is going to hurt you.”

Zayn let out a shaky breath as he relaxed his grip on Harry’s hands and let the alpha start the phone call. Once the number was dialled, Harry passed Zayn the handset and ushered the others out. Zayn placed the _thing_ against his ear like he’d seen Liam and Annie do a few times before and waited. It sounded like a little bell was being rung right against his ear. Zayn began to get nervous as the ringing kept repeating and repeating, until suddenly it stopped and all was silent. Zayn couldn’t hear anything. “Hello?” he tried tentatively. Nothing. Maybe he wasn’t speaking loud enough. “Hello?” he tried again raising his voice a little. Again, nothing. “Harry!” Zayn shouted.

The alpha was by his side in an instant, the others looking on curiously, admittedly a bit worriedly, from the doorway. “What is it?” Harry asked.

“I think I broke it. It stopped making that ringing sound and then there wasn’t anyone talking back to me,” Zayn said with his eyes on the handset resting in his hands and his cheeks heating up as the embarrassment of breaking Harry’s phone swelled inside of him.

“You didn’t break it,” Harry told him with a fond little smile.

Zayn glanced up at him. “I didn’t?”

“No,” Harry assured him. “If the ringing stopped and no one talked back that means that no one answered the phone. We’ll try them again, okay?” Zayn nodded watching Harry dial again and placing the handset against his ear. Harry walked away while Zayn listened to the ringing repeat again and again and…

 

* * *

 

Annie had just placed the last of the dinner dishes on a tray when she heard the phone ringing in the kitchen. Liam was back by his old post by the back doors and didn’t seem to be bothered by the ringing phone. The housekeeper quickly grabbed her tray and walked to the kitchen, trying to get to the phone on time, but it stopped ringing just as she was about to pick it up. “If it’s anything important,” she said to herself, “they’ll call back.” She went back to where she’d dumped the tray rather unceremoniously into the sink. Annie just turned on the faucet when the phone rang again. She basically launched herself across the kitchen to the where the phone was ringing on the wall. “Hello?” she answered breathlessly. Her eyes widened and her hand came up to her mouth when she heard the little voice on the other end of the call. “Zayn?” she almost whispered too scared to believe it was actually him. Tears sprang to her eyes as she got an affirmative reply. She pulled the phone’s microphone away from her mouth so she could shout, “Liam! Liam, come here! Hurry! Liam, it’s an emergency!”

The alpha was in the kitchen out of breath from the sudden exertion after days of just sitting in the chair. “What is it?”

Wordlessly, Annie held the phone out to him smiling and crying at the same time. Liam slowly took it from her, placing the handset against his ear. “Hello?”

“Liam?”

Liam’s knees buckled and he had to catch himself on the table to keep from crashing to the ground. He had a white-knuckle grip on the handset. “Zayn? Zayn is that you?” Annie eased her employer into a kitchen chair so that he wouldn’t fall and hurt himself.

“It’s me, Liam.”

Liam began to cry, sobbing and trying to talk at the same time. “A-angel,” was the only thing he could clearly get out. From the sounds of it, Zayn wasn’t doing any better. Struggling, but managing to get a hold on himself, Liam asked, “Zayn, where are you?”

“I’m at Harry’s. He…(post-crying hiccup)...I want you to come over here. He says I can’t come home yet because he’s scared someone there had something to do with it. Can you come here?”

“Yes, angel. I’m going to be there as soon as I can. I love you. I love you so much.”

(Another sob.) “I love you too. Please, hurry.”

“Of course, angel. I’m going to hang up, now, so just put the phone back in its cradle when I do, okay? After we’re done talking, I’m leaving so it won’t be long.”

“Okay, Liam.”

Liam didn’t want to hang up. He didn’t want to have to go another moment without hearing Zayn’s voice, but if he did hang up, he could get to hold his boy and kiss him and tell him in person how much he loved him. The latter option sounded much nicer than holding the phone against his face for the rest of his life. “I love you, angel,” Liam whispered. “I’ll see you soon.”

“I love you, Liam. Hurry.”

Liam hung up after that, forcing himself to sit and catch his breath before moving again. Annie stood behind him, waiting for directions. “Let’s go,” he finally said, grabbing Annie by the arm and dragging her to the car.

“Where are we going?” Annie asked.

“Harry’s. Zayn is at Harry’s.”

Liam peeled out of the garage and sped down the road towards town. He slowed a bit when he hit the main road in case there were any late night pedestrians ambling about, but once he was through town and on the road to Harry’s, Liam was pressing the gas pedal closer and closer to the floor. Annie was too happy to berate him for his reckless driving like she normally would. The faster was definitely better in this instance. Gravel flew as Liam pulled into Harry’s driveway and slammed on the brakes causing both of them to bounce in their seats. Liam tripped over himself in his haste to get inside. Harry’s butler, Mr. Barnes, opened the door for both of them. Liam threw a _Thank you_ over his shoulder as he passed.

Harry met Liam in the entrance hall, catching the speeding alpha by the shoulders. Liam caught his friend in a tight hug, thanking him profusely for finding Zayn. “I told you I’d find him,” Harry said hugging his friend back just as tightly. “But I need you to listen right now.”

Liam’s good mood dampened slightly at Harry’s tone. “What?” His worry was back almost tenfold. What had they done to his mate?

“He didn’t want Niall to check him over before you got here, so be careful. We don’t know where he hurts. Mr. Higgins knows for sure his left ankle is messed up. I’m just warning you.”

Liam nodded, taking in the information, another question popping into his head. “Do you know if they...did they...has he said if…”

“He hasn’t said anything about any of what he went through. I haven’t asked. It’s probably good for him to talk about it, but I’m not going to force him. He’s so excited to see you. He’s in the parlor.” Harry patted his shoulder and moved to give Annie a hug.

Liam nodded to his friend and slowly made his way to the parlor. He was suddenly scared this was all a dream and he’d wake up back in the armchair in his library wondering if Zayn was ever going to come home. The parlor door wasn’t all the way open, and Liam stopped before he could fully see the other side. He could hear Louis talking a mile a minute about something he felt Harry had done wrong. Mr. Higgins was chuckling as was Niall, but then, as Louis reached the climax of the story, there was a sound Liam had feared he’d never hear again. Zayn was laughing. A fresh wave of tears crashed over the alpha. His boy was on the other side of this door and he was going to go see him. If this was a dream, he wanted to see his boy smile one more time before he woke up and everything was back to the way it had been. Gently, Liam pushed open the door.

He sucked in a breath at the sight of Zayn sitting between Louis and Mr. Higgins with a wide smile on his face. Liam was positive he’d never seen anything so beautiful. Zayn’s laughter stopped when he caught Liam’s scent. His eyes snapped to the alpha standing in the doorway. “Liam,” he breathed. The omega pushed himself off the couch and hobbled as quickly as he could towards his alpha. Liam snapped out of his daze and met him halfway. Liam swept Zayn off his feet, spinning him in a circle with his arms wrapped tightly around his boy. Zayn kept his arms and legs wrapped securely around Liam, vowing to them both that he would never let go. Liam cried as he peppered Zayn’s hair and what parts of his face he could reach with kisses. Zayn sobbed into Liam’s neck as the scent of his alpha washed over him. Nothing in the world could make him happier than he was right now. Liam stopped spinning them in favor of gently swaying back and forth with his mate in his arms. Zayn pulled his tear-stained face away from Liam’s neck so that he could properly look at his mate. Zayn brought his two hands from around Liam’s neck to place them on either side of Liam’s face. “I love you,” he whispered before smacking a kiss on Liam’s lips. “I love you, so much.”

Liam didn’t let Zayn pull away from the kiss this time. He placed a hand gently on the back of Zayn’s neck and kept him close, deepening the kiss slowly so as not to overwhelm his boy. Zayn’s arms returned to their former position around Liam’s neck as everything else fell away. His body felt lighter than air as every happy emotion he’d ever experience in his life swelled inside of him, threatening to make him burst with their intensity. He tried to get this white-hot feeling of unadulterated...joy, ecstasy, elation across in the kiss, but he knew Liam was already experiencing the same thing. He could feel it through their bond. These unspeakable emotions and their kiss left them both breathless, and too soon they had to pull away to get some air in their lungs. “I love you more,” Liam breathed, his lips brushing against Zayn’s as they formed the words.

Zayn grinned. “I don’t think that’s possible,” he teased.

“That’s too bad,” Liam murmured pressing another kiss to Zayn’s lips.


	15. I Promise

Niall knocked on the parlor door and poked his head inside to check on Liam and Zayn. He smiled when he saw the two of them on one of the couches completely wrapped up in each other. Zayn was curled in Liam’s lap while Liam stroked through his hair singing some song Niall had never heard softly to his omega. Zayn’s eyes were closed and he’d looked the happiest Niall had ever seen him. Niall cleared his throat to gain their attention. Liam looked up at him with his first true smile in days while Zayn simply cracked an eye open to see who was at the door before letting it close again. “May I come in?” Niall asked.

“Of course,” Liam said softly.

Niall came in and took a seat in a chair directly across from them. “I’d like to check on Zayn. I want to make sure there are no other serious injuries other than his ankle, and I want to assess just how bad his ankle is. I don’t know if I’ll be able to do anything about it now, but I can figure that out once I take a look. Is that okay?”

Liam repeated Niall’s question to Zayn even though the boy had heard it all. Zayn nodded against Liam’s chest, shifting slowly so he was facing Niall.

“Alright. You can stay in Liam’s lap, but I’m going to need you to sit up fully.” Liam and Zayn shifted on the couch again so that Zayn was sitting up facing Niall. “Let’s get your coat off.” Liam helped Zayn out of the coat so that the boy was just in the fabric he’d been put in for the auction. Mr. Higgins had taken off the belt and leash so that Zayn could be as comfortable as possible. “Now, I’ll need you to take this off, but you can wrap it around the bits of you you don’t want me to see.” Niall turned his back on Liam and Zayn while Zayn pulled the tunic over his head and wrapped it around his hips so Niall didn’t get an eyeful when he turned around. Niall turned around when Zayn said he could. The doctor’s breath caught at what he saw. Bruises littered Zayn’s torso, arms, and legs. Some were dark purple while others were a yellowish green. There were scrapes on his knees like he’d been dragged against a rough surface. He was definitely thinner, his ribs just beginning to show. There was dirt underneath his nails and no doubt in his hair. The only thing that seemed unmarked was his face. No doubt DiCaprio had felt like Zayn’s face was his main selling point. Niall found himself growling at the thought. If he didn’t hold himself to higher standards, Nial would murder DiCaprio where he stood. Even with his standards the idea was more than tempting, but revenge for Zayn would most definitely be dealt with more fittingly by Liam. “I’m going to start at the top and work my way down, alright? I’m going to be touching you, is that okay?” Zayn nodded and Liam squeezed his arms around Zayn’s waist in as much of a hug as he could manage while sitting down.

Niall started at the top, gently massaging his fingers over Zayn’s scalp to check for any tenderness. He found one spot that caused Zayn to wince. Upon further inspection, he found a bruise that seemed old. Zayn had probably bumped his head a little too hard on something. It wasn’t a cause for worry. Niall’s hands slipped from his hair, around his jaw, and down his neck. Niall slowed as he reached the place where Zayn’s shoulder met his neck. He should be able to see the mating mark, and he couldn’t. The skin seemed to be a little discolored where the mark should be which could mean one of two things: either the mark had been covered up, or the mark had been removed somehow. Niall was almost completely sure that it was the first option. Liam hadn’t told him about any extraordinary painful events over the last few days, but in the state he’d been in, Niall wasn’t even sure he’d realize it. “Did they cover up your mark, Zayn?” Niall asked softly, hands stilled on Zayn’s throat.

_Zayn stood shaking behind Beta Starr as he waited in line to go out to the auction. Beta Harrison was giving everyone one final inspection before they went out. He carried a jar in his hand. A jar whose purpose Zayn didn’t know and was fearful to find out. Beta Harrison stopped next to him. He pulled the sleeve of the tunic down revealing Zayn’s mating mark. He scooped a bit of what Zayn could only describe as lotion from the jar and proceeded to rub it over his mark. Zayn’s eyes rolled to the back of his head as his body trembled. No one but his mate was ever supposed to touch that. His skin tingled unpleasantly and the nervous shaking only became worse. He felt like he was on fire._

“They did,” Zayn said softly, his body trembling at the memory. Liam pressed a kiss to the back of Zayn’s head to help calm him.

Niall sighed with relief. He was thankful for both Liam and Zayn’s sake that the mark had only been covered and not removed. He didn’t want to think of Zayn going through something like that alone in such an awful place. He didn’t want to think that Liam had been so consumed with Zayn’s disappearance that he’d not even registered the bond being broken. Shaking the thoughts of such excruciating pain out of his mind, Niall resumed his inspection, taking care to avoid where the mark should be. The doctor had Zayn raise his arms, bend them, and wiggle his fingers. Each arm seemed to be in tact. Niall carefully rain his hands over Zayn’s ribs, pressing into some particularly menacing looking bruises he was scared were obscuring broken ribs. Each bruise seemed to be just that -- a bruise. Niall was grateful for that; broken ribs were hard to treat days after the healing process had already begun. Satisfied that Zayn’s torso was only bruised with a couple of mostly healed scratches in between, Niall placed his hands gently on Zayn’s hips over the fabric of his tunic. “Zayn, I need to know if anyone hurt you here.”

Zayn felt Liam tense behind him. He’d asked his neighbor about this after he’d woken up and had a hard time remembering how he’d gotten back to his cell.

_“What if they...did things to me?” he whispered to the dark._

_“They won’t. Unless you go into heat. They want you as pure as you can be when you get auctioned off. It raises your value,” she whispered back._

“They didn’t,” he said. Liam relaxed against him again. Zayn looked up at him with worry in his eyes. Liam pressed a kiss to his lips.

Niall moved onto Zayn’s legs, assuring himself that the bruises were just bruises and that the scrapes and cuts weren’t infected. He finally came to Zayn’s bad ankle. He went to touch it, but Zayn said, “Don’t, please. It hurts.”

Niall motioned to his lap. “Can you move it up here so I can get a better look at it? I want to see what I can do for you?” Zayn sucked in a breath as he raised his ankle to Niall’s lap. Liam squeezed him again to offer what comfort he could.

Two red lines circled Zayn’s ankle. These cuts did look a little infected. Niall made a mental note of that so he could give Liam something to treat it with. This ankle was swollen, the skin mottled and dirtier than the rest. Niall carefully touched it, not missing the way Zayn hissed and twisted into Liam. Looking closely, the entire joint seemed a bit out of place. Niall frowned. He wasn’t sure there was much he could do without being able to look inside. It was no doubt broken, and the break was most likely severe. Zayn had probably been forced to walk on it as best he could, which certainly had not helped. He didn’t have the equipment at his office to be able to get a better look at what he was dealing with, but he knew a doctor in the city who did. “It’s broken, and these cuts are infected. The infection I can do something about, but the break needs more looking into. I have a friend in the city who will be able to help. I’ll call him tonight and go with you to the appointment. Do you know when it broke, Zayn?”

“Probably when they put the cuff on me. It was too small,” the boy said quietly.

Niall nodded grimly while Liam held Zayn just a bit tighter. “Alright. Other than your ankle, you’re physically fine. These bruises will go away with time, and you’ll fill out again when you start eating. Take it slow. I’m guessing your body won’t be used to the rich foods it once was.”

Zayn shook his head. “Mr. Higgins gave me a peppermint stick, but I got sick. It was too sweet.”

“Your body should get used to it again quickly,” Niall said with a smile. “When it does you can have this.” Niall produced a blue lollipop from his pocket. Zayn had tried a blue lollipop while Liam had gotten a check-up a week before he’d been taken. Niall remembered Zayn liking it a lot. “The next thing to do is to get you properly cleaned up, and then I’ll bandage your ankle.” Zayn smiled and cuddled closer to Liam. “I’ll tell Harry to get a bath going,” Niall said as he stood and left the room.

Zayn held the lollipop close to his chest and Liam began to sing to him again. They weren’t alone long before Louis was popping his head in and saying, “We got you a bath upstairs.” Liam stood with Zayn wrapped in his tunic and cradled in his arms as he followed Louis and Harry upstairs. “You can stay in here,” Louis said showing them into a guest room. “The bath is just through that door and we’ll be just down the hall if you need us. Annie got the room right next to yours if you need her. Niall is on the other side of us.” Louis scrunched his nose as he went through the room assignments in his head. “I never thought we’d ever use all these rooms.” The alphas chuckled at that and Zayn managed a small giggle. “What?” Louis asked looking to both of the amused alphas for a reason behind their laughter. “I’m serious.”

“I know you are, pumpkin,” Harry said drawing his omega to him for a hug. “We just thought your observation was funny.”

Louis huffed putting his hands on his hips. “I gathered that from the laughter,” he grumbled.

“How about we let Liam get Zayn cleaned up and I’ll explain why it was so funny in our room,” Harry suggested as he began to lead Louis out of the room.

“That doesn’t sound like I’ll be getting a decent explanation,” Louis said as Harry pulled him through the door.

“We’re finally alone,” Liam whispered once Harry had rolled his eyes and closed the door behind him. “What would you like to do now?”

Zayn peered up at Liam from where he was nestled against his alpha’s chest. “I’d like a bath. A proper one. With warm water and bubbles.”

“You got it, angel.” Liam carried Zayn into the bathroom and carefully set him on the edge of the tub already full of steaming water. He carefully took the lollipop from Zayn’s hand, placing it on the counter by the sink. He then pulled the fabric Zayn had been wrapped in away, throwing it behind him without care. He gently stroked Zayn’s cheeks as he knelt in front of his boy. “Ready?” he asked. Zayn nodded. Liam lifted his boy into the tub mindful of his bruises and ankle. Zayn sighed happily as the warm water and bubbles surrounded him. He rested his head against the edge of the tub. Liam rolled up his sleeves as he looked over the caddy of soaps and shampoos that was hanging off the side of the tub. He smelled a couple of the shampoos until he found one that was vanilla scented.

_“Wait, wait, wait,” Zayn said, stopping Liam by squeezing his hand. “Let’s go in here.” He pulled his alpha into a candle shop they’d been passing. Once they were in the door, Zayn took a right where there was a lit candle on a table. It smelled vanilla. “This is my favorite. My mom burned a candle like this when I was little.”_

_Liam picked out and bought a candle exactly like the one that Zayn was admiring._

_“Thank you,” Zayn said quietly as Liam handed him the small bag with the candle inside._

_“Anything for you, angel,” Liam told him._

Liam got Zayn’s hair wet before he squeezed a small amount of the shampoo onto his hand. Zayn sighed happily as Liam began massaging the shampoo into his hair. Zayn pressed into Liam’s touch as his mate took his time with every strand of hair. The smell of vanilla permeated the air making Zayn’s smile grow bigger. “Close your eyes,” Liam instructed as he filled a cup with water. He used his big hand to help block the water and suds from getting in Zayn’s eyes as he rinsed his boy’s hair. Satisfied Zayn’s hair was clean, Liam picked up a washcloth that had been left for him. He went through the same process he had gone through with the shampoo until he found one that was smelled like oranges. If there’d been a vanilla one, he would have used it, but there wasn’t and he liked the smell of oranges. It reminded him of summer picnics on the coast. Liam lifted Zayn out of the water a bit so that he could properly wash him. He started at his hips and worked his way up. He was careful over Zayn’s sore muscles and tender bruises. He let Zayn settle in the water again before beginning to work on Zayn’s shoulders and neck. While he worked the washcloth over the skin, Liam tried to rub out some of the knots he felt under his boy’s skin.

Liam finally turned his attention to where Zayn’s mark was hidden. He put some more soap on the washcloth and began in soft circles. With no immediate results, Liam increased the pressure behind the washcloth. Zayn shifted beneath him, seeking more of his mate’s touch over their mark. “There we are,” Liam breathed as the lotion finally began rubbing away and the mating mark began to show again.

“Can I ask you something?” Zayn asked a bit breathlessly as Liam abandoned the washcloth in favor of his fingers.

“Ask away, angel,” Liam murmured.

Zayn tried to gather his thoughts while Liam kept rubbing over the mark. “Would you...if they…” Liam pulled his fingers away so that Zayn could gather his thoughts. Zayn took a deep breath as the pleasure Liam had been giving him began to melt away. “Would you still want me if they’d…?” Zayn couldn’t bring himself to finish the question. He hoped Liam would be able to understand.

Liam’s hands, which had been rubbing Zayn’s chest, stilled. “Of course I’d still want you,” he said firmly. “Nothing anyone could ever do would make me want you any less.” He pressed kisses from behind Zayn’s ear and trailing down to where the mark seemed to glow.

Zayn squeezed one of Liam’s hands in his own. “Promise?” he croaked.

“I promise,” Liam whispered. “I will always want you, Zayn. Always.”

Zayn closed his eyes as Liam continued to kiss their bond mark. The alpha wasn’t convinced his mate believed him. He pressed one more kiss to the mark before he sank his teeth into it. Zayn’s eyes opened wide and a surprised gasp passed his lips as Liam bit him. He felt the happy emotions from earlier swell inside of him until his vision went white. Liam wrapped an arm around his mate as the boy’s back arched away from the tub. He poured every ounce of his love into the bite, wanting Zayn to never have any reason to ever doubt Liam’s love for him. Liam pulled away from his mate, licking over the fresh wound until it stood pink against the olive skin. Zayn slumped against the tub, panting and looking a bit dazed.

“Let’s finish getting you cleaned up,” Liam said softly.

Zayn’s unfocused eyes found Liam’s and he nodded, still out of it from the bite. Liam drained a bit of the water from the tub so he could get to Zayn’s legs easier. He began with the leg with a good ankle. He rubbed more citrus soap into Zayn’s skin. Zayn watched Liam with a rather dopey smile on his face. It wasn’t unusual for mates to bite more than once. It was like a renewal of a lifelong promise. The bite alone meant so much to the pair of mates. A second, third, fourth bite just brought them closer together.

Liam moved onto Zayn’s other leg, the one with the bad ankle. He worked his way slowly down Zayn’s leg. When he reached his bad ankle, Liam took his time as he carefully washed the cuts that were angry and bright red. Zayn fought the urge to pull his leg away from Liam, but couldn’t help the whimper of pain that escaped him. Liam patiently worked the dirt off of Zayn’s ankle and foot. Once he was satisfied, he eased Zayn’s foot back down and gave his mate a fond smile. He allowed the water to finish draining while he ran his hand through Zayn’s hair. “There’s my boy,” Liam murmured. Zayn preened under Liam’s words and touch. “Let’s get you dried off.” Liam left Zayn’s side for a moment to get a towel off a shelf. Zayn put an arm around Liam’s shoulders as he was gently lifted from the tub. Zayn’s arm stayed there as Liam dried him off. When he was dry, Liam lifted Zayn into his arms and carried him back into the bedroom. A pair of pajamas was waiting for Zayn on the bed. Liam wasn’t going to question their appearance. He was grateful for them no matter how they got into the room. Liam kept an arm around Zayn’s waist while he dressed him. Once Zayn was dressed, Liam pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Tired?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Zayn whispered, arm finding it’s way around Liam again.

“I’ll go get Niall so he can bandage your ankle. Do you want to see Annie?”

“Yes, please,” Zayn said with an excited smile. He’d missed the housekeeper almost as much as he missed Liam.

“Alright. Why don’t you get comfortable and I’ll go get them?”

Zayn’s arm tightened around Liam. “Don’t leave me alone. Please, don’t.” Zayn had gone from happy and content to scared and panicked faster than Liam had ever seen him. “Liam, please don’t leave me.”

“Okay, okay. Take a deep breath. I’m right here. I’ve got you. I’ve got you,” Liam said gathering Zayn in his arms and sitting the two of them on the bed. “I’m not going to leave you. Annie is just next door. Why don’t you get in bed and I’ll go get her? You’ll be able to see me from here.” Liam helped Zayn into the bed, propping him up on pillows and tucking the blankets around him. Zayn looked down at his clasped hands while Liam tucked him in. “I’ll be right back,” Liam said. The omega nodded and the alpha went to knock on their neighbor’s door. He stood so that Zayn could see him from the bed. Annie joined Liam in the hallway, exchanging a few words with him before turning to Zayn in the bed. She was all smiles as she bustled in and began fussing over Zayn.

“Just look at you,” she was saying. “You’re thin. Well, I’ll just have to fix that. You’re in desperate need of a hair cut. Oh, I just missed you so much!” Annie pressed a loud kiss to each of Zayn’s cheeks. “It wasn’t the same when you were gone. I’m so happy you’re back. I’m never letting you out of my sight again.” Annie wrapped her arms tightly around the boy, whose arms were suddenly pinned to his side and unable to return the hug. “You let me know if you need anything,” Annie said pulling back slightly. “I don’t doubt that Harry’s staff can run this house, but they don’t know you like I do.”

“Don’t smother him, Annie,” Liam warned teasingly from the doorway.

His housekeeper turned and narrowed her eyes at him. “Don’t tell me what to do, Mr. Payne. I’m not smothering him.” Niall chuckled from his spot next to Liam. “Care to argue with me, Dr. Horan?” Annie challenged.

Niall held his hands up in mock surrender. “Never, my dear Annie, would I dream of arguing with you.”

Annie nodded triumphantly and turned her attention back to the boy in the bed. “Can I get you anything right now?”

“No, thank you Annie,” Zayn said softly.

Annie pressed a kiss to Zayn’s forehead. “Of course, my dear. I’ll let Dr. Horan look at you and then I expect you and Liam to get some proper rest. You look positively exhausted.” Annie gave Liam a kiss on the cheek before returning to her room.

Niall approached the bed and helped Zayn get his ankle out so he could look at it. He pulled some cream out of the bag he’d brought with him and began rubbing it into the cuts around Zayn’s ankle. Zayn tried to keep his sounds of distress inside, but what Niall was doing hurt. Liam came to his mates side and wrapped a comforting arm around his mate. “This will kill the infection,” Niall explained while motioning to the cream. “I’ll wrap it in a bandage for tonight. The doctor in the city should be able to help more than I can with the broken bone.”

“Thank you, Niall,” Liam said watching his friend bandage his mate’s ankle. “Is there anything you want from me before you go to sleep?” Niall’s question was directed to Zayn.

“No, thank you Niall,” Zayn murmured, eyes drooping as his body finally began to give in to the exhaustion Annie had pointed out.

The doctor smiled both fondly and sadly. “Alright then. Goodnight to the both of you and I will see you in the morning.” With that, Niall rose, closed his bag, and left the room.

Liam got himself situated under the covers. He had only just stopped shifting around when Zayn curled into his side. Liam wrapped his arms tightly around his mate as tears filled his eyes. This was all he ever wanted since Zayn had been taken. Now that he had Zayn back, he only ever wanted to hold his boy. Thoughts of revenge or bringing DiCaprio and his goons to justice were pushed to the far reaches of his mind. All of his focus was on Zayn. Nothing would ever or could ever be as important as Zayn.

“Goodnight, angel,” Liam murmured with a kiss to Zayn’s head.

“Goodnight, Liam,” Zayn returned his voice slow as he succumbed to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank every single one of you for helping me get to 50,000 words. The story isn't done yet -- we've still got a long way to go -- but 50,000 words in a month is done. :) Thank you all so much for everything you've done for me! Couldn't have done it without you.
> 
> Lots and lots of hugs and kisses!  
> ~Remi


	16. What's In It For Me?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all!
> 
> I've gotten a chance to write a bit while taking a break from studying. My first final is on Tuesday, then I've got one on Wednesday and two on Friday, one of which is Organic Chemistry. Wish me luck, and I hope you enjoy!

Harry sat in Ms. Harmon’s office with files and food spread around them. Harry was reviewing the notes he’d made while talking to Mr. Lenin in prison and comparing them to pieces of Mr. Higgin’s testimony. The two stories were matching perfectly. It would almost be too easy to bring the culprits to justice. A voice in the back of his head told him he knew better than to think that, but the rest of his head chose to ignore it. For now, he’d work on perfecting the case and then petition the judge for an arrest warrant. Harry put his notes on the desk and took a bite of the sandwich Louis had brought him. Louis had been so proud that he had made this lunch for Harry and Ms. Harmon. He kept saying over and over again how he had made their lunch not their cook. Harry had taken the basket from the grinning boy and sent him on his way. Mr. Barnes had actually taken to teaching Louis how to knit (to the utter bafflement of Harry and the rest of the staff), and delivering lunch was going to make him late if he stayed any longer. Louis made Harry promise he’d eat the lunch before their driver took him back home. True to his word, Harry was eating the lunch Louis had made, but...if he was being completely honest, it was terrible. He wasn’t sure exactly what was on his sandwich, but whatever it was seemed to be burnt. Ms. Harmon, upon Harry’s recommendation, had gotten lunch somewhere else. Harry, however, had promised his mate he’d eat the lunch, and he wasn’t going to break the promise.

“Youre sure you don’t want some of mine?” Ms. Harmon asked as Harry swallowed his food with a grimace.

“I’m sure. I promised him, and I know that he wouldn’t know if I ate it or not, but I just can’t bring myself to not eat it.”

Ms. Harmon wrinkled her nose at Harry’s sandwich as he placed it back on it’s wrapper on her desk. “I suppose it’d help to be mated to fully understand, but I respect that you’re a man of your word.”

“I try my best. What do you think of this?” Harry asked motioning to the mess of papers sprawled on her desk.

“It’s a solid case, especially with Mr. Higgins’ testimony. I don’t think we’ll need Zayn to give a statement or even be present when we meet with a judge. I’d hate for him to have to relive any of this.” Ms. Harmon fell into silent thoughts as she looked over another paper. “Do you think DiCaprio is part of a ring? I’ve heard that there’s usually a cluster.”

Harry rubbed his temple as the implications of what Ms. Harmon had said sunk in. “We don’t really have any evidence of that, but it’s a possibility and we can’t do anything about it right now. I hope he’s the only one here. It sounds like almost everyone else at this event was out of town, though. I know Leo has connections outside of town, but what if they heard about it from the seller in their town or city. How big could this be?”

“We can’t think about that right now,” Ms. Harmon said. “We don’t have any evidence that suggests that he is a piece of something bigger. We have to focus on getting justice for Zayn and helping the others that are there. We’ve got our hands full with that. No need to add more to the load.”

“It’s not that easy.”

Ms. Harmon’s shoulders lost their strong set. “I know.” They were silent and then she asked, “Have you talked to that gardener? Zayn and Liam probably want to go home.”

“I’m going to talk to him today. I was going to head over after lunch.”

Ms. Harmon nodded. “Do you think he’s involved?”

“No. I’ve met all of Liam’s staff and none of them have seemed anything less than genuinely loyal. This nephew, though, I’ve never met, and it’s a bit suspicious that he disappeared around the same time Zayn did. He very well could have had a family emergency like Annie said, but until I know for sure, I’m thinking he’s involved somehow.”

“Don’t let that get in the way of your interview,” Ms. Harmon cautioned.

“I won’t,” Harry said, “or I’ll at least try my best.”

 

* * *

 

Annie walked into the grocery store with the borrowed coat folded neatly over her arm. The bell above the door rang announcing her arrival and causing the grocer to look up from the paper he was reading behind the counter. Mr. Higgins had returned to his store shortly after they’d had breakfast that morning. He’d actually been smiling while they ate. Annie never thought that she’d ever see him smile again. She’d always felt like she could relate in a way to how Mr. Higgins was feeling. There had been this other beta girl. She and Annie had sort of been sweethearts through the last few years of school. Annie had never been happier, and she’d been convinced that she and this girl were going to be mates. The entire town thought so too, until Annie had walked in on the girl kissing an omega that was visiting from the city. This little affair had been going on for sometime Annie later found out. The two girls had practically been mates, just without the bite, so when the affair came out, Annie had been cut deep. The memories had been mostly swept under the rug, but every now and then they’d resurface and the pain of betrayal and loss would come back. It was certainly nothing compared to what Mr. Higgins had gone through, but it was similar.

“Good afternoon, Annie,” Mr. Higgins greeted softly. “What can I do for you?”

Annie ran her hand over the coat in her arms. “Zayn asked me to return the coat you let him borrow. I’m heading back to the house to check on everything and make sure it’s ready for Zayn to come home, not that it needs much, but everything was so crazy while he was missing.” Annie made herself stop talking and hold the coat out for Mr. Higgins to take.

“I wish I’d remembered to say something before I left,” Mr. Higgins said taking the coat from her. “I want him to keep it. Joey would think I was being terribly sentimental by keeping all of his things exactly as he left them. He always told me that he wanted me to remember him when he was gone, but not let it suck me into this dark pit of despair. He always spoke as if my attachment to him wasn’t as deep as it was.”

“He knew better, though,” Annie said quietly.

“I know he did,” Mr. Higgins murmured rubbing his thumb over one of the gold buttons on the jacket. “I’ll take this back when I close up today. So they eventually woke up?”

Liam and Zayn had slept through the breakfast Annie and Mr. Higgins had eaten. “Yes. It was almost noon when they did. I took food up to them and that’s when Zayn asked me to bring you the coat. I’m pretty sure they went back to sleep after they finished eating.”

“I’m sure neither of them got any sleep while they were apart,” Mr. Higgins said.

“I know Liam didn’t, and I can only suppose Zayn didn’t either. Not in that terrible place.” Annie shuddered at the thought. What the rumors said were horrifying. She didn’t want to know just how accurate those stories truly were. Not when someone she cared for had been there. “The important thing is that he’s safe now, and Harry is going to get that monster and help the others that are still there.”

“You’re right,” Mr. Higgins said.

“I usually am,” Annie said with a smile. “Have a good day, Mr. Higgins. I’m sure I’ll see you at Harry’s later.”

Annie turned and began to walk to the door. Mr. Higgins placed the coat under the counter, straightened up, and realized that he’d forgotten to do something. “Annie!” he called.

The beta paused and turned. “Yes?”

“I just...thank you,” Mr. Higgins said. Annie’s brow furrowed, but before she could ask what he was thanking her for, Mr. Higgins continued, “Thank you for all those meals. Without you and Mrs. Jones, I don’t think I would have eaten over these last few months.”

“Oh,” Annie said with a slight blush. “There’s no need to thank me for that. It was nothing, really.”

“It was something, Annie, it was certainly something,” Mr. Higgins assured her.

“You’re very welcome, Mr. Higgins,” Annie told him. “Have a good day.” With that she was gone and walking down the main road. She stopped to talk to Mrs. Jones at the bakery, and was roped into tasting a few new pastries Mr. Jones had been working hard to get just right as the holiday season approached. The pastries were to die for just like always, and Annie was happy to offer her praises to the baker. Sent off with a box of pastries to share, Annie started her walk down the main road once again. She wasn’t alone long before a familiar alpha fell in step with her. “Hello, Harry,” Annie greeted. “Can I offer you a pastry?” She opened the box and held it out for him to pick.

“Mr. Jones is hard at work, isn’t he?” Harry asked as he took one. After he swallowed his first bite, he let out a satisfied moan and said, “This is by far his best creation.”

“My feelings precisely,” Annie agreed. “Where are you off to?”

“Your house, actually. I want to talk to that gardener you mentioned the other day,” Harry replied.

“Dave? You don’t think…”

“No, I don’t think it’s Dave. You said his nephew had worked at your house, right?”

“Yes. Only for a little bit. We wanted to bring on more help to spruce the place up for when Liam came home. Most of the extras left, but the nephew stayed on...Billy. I’m pretty sure his name was Billy.”

“Billy,” Harry repeated. “Did you know him very well? What was he like?”

Annie shrugged. “I don’t know. He was quiet. He stuck by Dave most of the time.”

Harry nodded, and then steered the conversation to lighter, less daunting topics like the weather and what holiday plans they were now making. The walk was long, but they managed to keep a healthy chatter for its entirety. Annie called for Dave when they got to the kitchen. “Can I get you anything?” she asked. She was already rummaging through the cabinets, moving things back to where she kept them. “She always moves things around when I’m gone. She never puts them back where they go,” Annie said to herself.

“I don’t need anything, thank you, Annie,” Harry said.

Annie acknowledged that he’d said something, but her movements started to slow the longer he watched her. “Do you think Dave had anything to do with what happened to Zayn?” she asked softly.

“No, I don’t,” Harry said. “I’ve known most of this staff for years, and none of you ever gave me reason for concern. I didn’t and still don’t know Dave’s nephew. I’m suspicious of him.”

Annie looked relieved. She’d been so scared that she’d been harboring a criminal all these years. The fact that there was still a possibility someone she had brought into the house had caused Liam and Zayn so much pain still drove a stab of pain through her heart. If anything had happened to Zayn that had taken him permanently from Liam, and it was at the hands of someone she let into their lives...Annie never would have forgiven herself. “I’m so glad you found him,” Annie told Harry again.

Harry smiled. “Me too.”

“Found who?” The question pulled the two of them from their conversation and to the door. A man dressed in dark pants and a dirty shirt with the sleeves rolled up stood in the doorway. His skin was tan and looked weather-worn, but his eyes were clear and sharp. “Did you find Zayn?”

Annie looked to Harry for directions on how to respond. They all had decided to tell no one else that Zayn had been returned. Leonardo was still at large, and even though he was a bit of a recluse, the alpha had his talkative connections. Not many people even knew that Zayn had been taken in the first place, but the out-of-town omega still ran curious gossipers’ mills, and anyone mentioning seeing Zayn somewhere in town after Mr. Higgins had said he was leaving town and would be taking Zayn with him would be nothing but dangerous.

“No, I’m still working on that. I found someone to take over Mr. Higgins’ store after he leaves,” Harry explained.

“Ah,” the man in the doorway said. “That’s good I suppose. How is your investigation going?”

“Rather well. We’ve gotten some more leads that I’m going to be following up on.” The man nodded, still standing in the doorway obviously unsure of why he’d been called inside.

“Dave, why don’t you come in and have a seat?” Annie offered. “Mr. Styles just wants to ask you a few questions about your nephew.”

Dave’s eyes snapped to Harry with a glint of defensiveness Harry hadn’t fully been prepared for. “You think he has something to do with Zayn’s disappearance?”

Harry could feel the ice thinning beneath his feet. He’d have to be careful. “In an effort to foster a completely honest relationship between us, yes. I do think your nephew has something to do with this, but I realize that these thoughts are currently unfounded. He was the only new member the staff I didn’t know well, and from what I understand he was only brought on to help with the winter renovations and to  help spruce up before Mr. Payne came home. I’d just like to talk about your nephew.”

Dave crossed his arms and remained standing while Harry remained seated at the large kitchen table. Annie hovered between the stove and the sink, aware of and nervous about the thick tension mounting between the two men. Dave was a fiercely loyal man. Accusing a family member of kidnapping was not a way to get him on your side.

“So, he’s one of your leads?” Dave asked.

“Yes,” Harry replied appearing to be unflustered by the waves of anger rolling off of Dave.

Dave lowered his arms, flexing his fists as they dropped to his side. “Alright.” The gardener walked stiffly into the kitchen, pulling out a chair a couple seats down from Harry. “What do you want to know?”

“Well, I’d like to start at the beginning. What’s your nephew’s name, where’s he from, what’s he like?”

“His name is Billy. He’s from up north. He grew up with just his mom. His dad walked out on them.” Dave’s fist clenched at the memory. “He’s pretty normal, just a little...I don’t know. Defiant seems like too strong of a word. He likes to know what’s in it for him. If the reward isn’t enough, he won’t do something. It gets him in trouble with authority sometimes.”

Harry made a note: _Billy. Reward._ He underlined “reward” a few times. “Okay. Was there any problems around the time Zayn went missing?”

_Dave sat at the kitchen table alone next to an empty seat with a full plate of cold food in front of it. He twisted a gold coin through his fingers as he sat there. It was an old trick he’d learned during the war. As the minutes ticked by, his frustration, anger, and worry increased. Billy had only gone to town to get a new shovel after his broke this afternoon. It was now dark and way past the time he should have returned. The boy had missed dinner and Annie had finished cleaning the kitchen almost an hour ago._

_The handle of the kitchen’s back door rattled and finally turned to admit a late night visitor. Dave thought momentarily that it might be an intruder, but once the stench of alcohol and cheap perfume passed him, he recognized Billy. “Where have you been?” he demanded._

_His nephew cursed as he tripped over something in the dark. “I went to get another shovel.”_

_Dave growled, a warning to not lie to him. “You’ve been gone for far too long if you were just getting a shovel.”_

_Billy straightened up as his toe continued to throb after tripping over something that flighty housekeeper had left out. “I stopped for a drink at Danielle’s.”_

_Dave fought the urge to throttle his nephew. He hoped that Billy had kept his mouth shut about where he was working. The town didn’t need to think that Liam was now employing anyone less than perfect. “Eat and then go to bed,” Dave commanded._

_“I’m not hungry,” Billy said._

_“You will eat the food Annie has made for you and then you will go to bed and remain in your room until you are fully presentable.”_

_Billy snorted at his uncle’s words. “What’s in it for me?”_

“He went to Danielle’s a few nights before Zayn disappeared. He stayed in his room for a couple of days. I was so mad at him. No one in their right mind goes there. We keep ourselves above reproach. We represent Liam and Zayn when we go out. To think that he was actually in there,” Dave said his disgust evident in his tone.

Harry made another note. _Danielle’s_. “Do you know if he talked to anyone about where he was working?”

Dave sighed tiredly. “No. Once he finally returned to work, we didn’t talk about it. I didn’t want to give him any attention for his behavior.”

“So, on the days where he was in his room, you had absolutely no contact with him?” Harry asked.

“That’s correct,” Dave said.

“I sent food up to him,” Annie added, “But never saw him myself.”

Harry made notes about all of this. “Thank you, mister…”

“Dave is fine,” the gardener said.

“Thank you, Dave,” Harry said. “If I need to ask you anything else, I’ll come back.”

Dave nodded, standing up and going to the door. Just before he left, he paused and turned back to the law enforcer still at the table. “I haven’t seen him since Zayn disappeared. I haven’t had any word from him other than a note I found telling me he had a family emergency. I’ve not heard from any other family members about an emergency of any sort. If you find him, let me know. I’d like to give him a good talking-to and then send him on his way.”

“Will do, Dave,” Harry assured him.

The gardener nodded to both Harry and Annie and then went on his way.

“So, what do you think?”

“I think I need to go to _Danielle’s_ ,” Harry said. “Louis is going to kill me.”

  



	17. Heebie-Jeebies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello hello! I finally have time to update! In case you missed it, chapter 16 is now a chapter, so catch yourself up if you haven't already. I'm home for the holidays now, so I will hopefully finish this soon. Pieces are falling into place people. Pieces are falling. (Though that won't stop me from knocking them all out of place again :) ).

“It’s a travesty! It’s practically criminal! Why do they think that omegas can handle this? What benefit can an omega get from more schooling? Will it decrease the likelihood that those first few meals won’t be burned?” This last statement got a chuckle out of the gathered crowd. “How are other classes supposed to focus in class with an omega in there? They’re kids. They haven’t learned the proper restraint you and I have. And the omegas...I don’t even want to think what they’ll do…”

Louis pressed himself closer to Harry’s side as they stood on the steps of the law enforcement office to watch the crowd. Harry had called his omega to the office to have a chat with him about _Danielle’s_ , and the omega had insisted that he come along on this venture. He was not going to sit at home while Harry went to a place like that. The two of them had been readying themselves for their adventure when a fellow officer had come to alert Harry of the gathering outside. Now they stood here watching and listening to a traditionalist who was visiting from the city rant and yell about the city’s decision to allow omegas to continue their education. He had gathered an impressive crowd, but Harry noticed many of them were watching with amused smiles, as if what he was saying was something that an ornery toddler might say mid-tantrum. The pure traditionalists were gathered at the front right in front of the speaker’s make-shift stage. They were nodding and crying out in agreement. The larger population of the town went about their business as if a mob of people weren’t clogging the main road. Cars had been parked along the sides of the road, the drivers and passengers opting to complete their business on foot rather than wait for someone to end this “protest”. The anger and violence lurking behind the man’s words were starting to make Harry, Louis, and the other officers squirm a bit. Their town was more forward-thinking and radical than this man fully realized, but that didn’t there weren’t those like DiCaprio who would do whatever it took to keep things the way they were.

“Omegas are not meant to do more than keep a house and produce and raise the young. I heard a story about an omega attending school a few towns over. She was attending school longer than necessary, and she was brutally assaulted one day during lunch. She went home black and blue. Her family almost didn’t recognize her. Her family says that the alphas are to blame, but are they really? She was being a tease. She’d flirt with one, decline him, and then drape herself over another…”

“Let’s go, Louis. I’m not listening to any more of this,” Harry grumbled. His mate looked up at him with wide eyes in a pale face. Harry cursed himself for not recognizing Louis’ fear sooner. Harry wrapped an arm around his mate and began making their way through the spectators gathered on the sidewalk who’d stopped to listen and then discuss the traditionalist’s story. Once they were free of the crowd, Harry’s arm loosened around Louis slightly, but his mate still clung to him. It made it harder to walk, but Harry wasn’t about to say anything. He liked having his boy close and he knew Louis was a bit unsettled by the man’s words. Harry was unsettled by the man’s words, but his priority was Louis. Always Louis.

“It wasn’t her fault,” Louis said quietly. “That girl in that school. It wasn’t her fault.”

Harry stopped their walking and looked Louis dead in the eye. “I know it wasn’t her fault. I know that, and most of those people back there know that. It’s disgusting and deplorable what those alphas did, and they most definitely are the ones to blame. I know that.” Harry brushed his hand through Louis’ hair until the omega relaxed slightly.

They began their walk again. After being left with his thoughts for a few moments, Louis asked another question. “Why was he so mad about omegas going to school? What’s so bad about it?”

Harry sighed. It was something he’d had to figure out after listening to old guard law enforcers who had similar ideas to the man on the stand who reminded Harry a lot of his father.

“He’s afraid. They’re all afraid,” Harry said sounding exhausted.

“Afraid of what?”

Harry sighed. “Afraid of change; of someone doing their job better; of losing their way of life; of vengeful lower classes.”

Louis wrinkled his nose. “Vengeful lower classes? I certainly wouldn’t rise against you if I suddenly had more rights. I don’t think that I would change very much if I had more rights. I’m perfectly content with what I have.”

“We’ve talked about that before, Lou. I know there are some things you want to do. What about learning more math or being a part of the play you tried out for in your last year? You could have done that if you’d been able to stay in school.”

“First of all, I never liked math. It was the absolute worst. Second of all, if I’d stayed in school any longer, we wouldn’t have met and I’d have ended up with some neanderthal for a mate,” Louis explained. “Like we’ve said before. Having the option would have been nice, but I think I’ve done just fine with what I’ve been given. I ended up with only a half-neanderthal for a mate.”

Harry looked properly offended, but his tone was anything but. “I am not a neanderthal. I’m not even half of a neanderthal.”

Louis snorted. “Oh please. Just last night you hovered around me as I was getting ready for bed like I might trip and fall and split my head open or something like that. I’m not a delicate flower. One slip and fall in the bathroom does not warrant a hovering alpha mess for the rest of my trips to that room.”

“I think it does,” Harry said with a pout. “You like it when I take care of you.”

“Yeah, when I’m in heat or sick or in the mood. Last night didn’t qualify as any of those things.” Louis groaned. “You’re almost twice as bad when I’m in heat.”

“I have to protect you! You’re completely vulnerable!” Harry insisted.

“True, but your still worse.”

“You love it, I’m just not sure I understand the “half” part of it all.”

“A full neanderthal would have gone to Danielle’s without me and then made the ensuing argument my fault. You did good to call me, Harry.” Louis patted his alpha's shoulders in what would be considered a condescending way, but had an undercurrent of gratitude and love. Harry just rolled his eyes and stopped their walk so he could pepper Louis with kisses until the boy was a giggling mess.

 _Danielle’s_ wasn’t exactly a reputable establishment. It was a few minutes walk from the main part of town. The building used to be a proper house with a proper family, but Danielle and her partner at the time had bought it from the town (the proper family had abandoned it a few years prior) and turned it into a tavern of sorts. The downstairs hosted a could of billiards rooms and a lively bar that was almost never empty no matter what time you visited. Upstairs were a multitude of bedrooms used both as a one night stop for travelers and one night stands for horny members of the community who were looking for a partner without thoughts of further attachment. Though there had been this one beta who found this omega here and they’d ended up mating and having a slew of children, but that kind of story was rare. The bar was tended by a pretty omega named Danielle. She attracted a lot of attention, but was never approached seriously. The burly alpha brooding in the corner next to her made sure she was left alone. The alpha also made sure none of the other omega girls who worked there had any trouble.

Harry had never been to the tavern before. He’d heard of some stories from other law enforcers about answering disturbance calls here. They never went smoothly, though the resulting jailbirds were always entertaining. They could spin a great story. After sharing one of these stories with Louis, the omega had made the alpha promise he’d never go there. Harry had given him his word, and like he’d told Ms. Harmon, he was a man of his word. The two of them were now standing outside of _Danielle’s_. Louis took Harry’s hand. The alpha squeezed it just before tugging the omega forward and into the tavern. It was relatively quiet. Music crackled from a record player tucked next to the bar. A few patrons rested their heads on their arms as they nursed half-empty glasses. Danielle--or at least the woman Harry assumed was Danielle--was behind the bar wiping down a couple of glasses. She looked up at the two of them as they came in.

“What can I get you two? A room, maybe? Or do you want a drink or two first?” she asked setting the glass she’d been cleaning down.

“Neither, actually,” Harry said walking forward with his mate by his side. “I have a couple of questions about a customer of yours that was here a couple of weeks ago.”

Danielle snorted a bit. “Well, this customer better have been memorable. I’ve had a lot of customers since then.”

“His name was Billy Martin. He was a gardener in--”

“I know Billy,” Danielle growled. “He was here a lot until he wasn’t. I don’t know where he is. I haven’t seen him since the last time I saw him, which was a couple weeks ago...maybe three weeks ago.”

“Can you tell me about the last time you saw them?” Harry asked.

Louis gripped Harry’s arm as the patron next to him looked up from the counter. The man’s eyes were bleary and fighting to focus on Louis. When he got a good idea of what the omega looked like, he leered and leaned over. “You wanna go upstairs, baby?” the man slurred.

Louis raised an eyebrow. “You think you can give me something he can’t?” Louis asked with a nod towards Harry.

“I can give you everything you’ve ever wanted.”

Louis slowly let go of Harry’s arm. “Everything I’ve wanted? That’s...that’s a lot,” he said softly with a smile. The man at the bar reached out to touch Louis’ arm, but the omega was pulled away from him. He looked up to growl at the offender, but then cowered when he saw Harry’s glare. Louis smirked as he put his hands over the arm Harry had wrapped around his chest. “It’s a shame that I already have someone who gives me everything I want. We could have had so much fun,” Louis mused.

Harry turned so that he was now between Louis and the patron and Louis was facing Danielle boxed in against the bar. “If I can’t look around, neither can you, little one,” Harry murmured darkly in Louis’ air.

Louis just chuckled and leaned back against his mate. “I never would. I was just having a little fun.”

“Mmhmm,” Harry hummed. “Why don’t you take some notes while Danielle and I talk?” He handed his mate a pencil and notebook. Louis took the materials with a smile and looked expectantly at the bar tender. “So,” Harry continued. “You were saying Billy was a regular?”

“Yeah. He started coming in a couple of months ago. The only reason I remember that is because he was so loud and he caused some trouble that first night. I had Andy here give him a talking to.” Danielle motioned to the alpha in the corner. “He didn’t really cause any problems after that. He was just really loud. Always going on about how he was working for Liam Payne, as if that’s some big accomplishment. Three weeks ago, he was talking about Mr. Payne and Mr. Payne’s mate. He’d had too much to drink with this other guy who’d been in here once or twice before. He seemed to be showing a lot of interest in whatever drivel Billy had to share, especially when Liam’s mate was brought up. The guy made a phone call and then Leonardo DiCaprio was showing up in my tavern. He bought a room for the three of them. I thought that might be a little weird. Alpha DiCaprio never really came off as a threesome kind of guy to me, but he paid well. I wasn’t going to say anything to him. They all came back down a couple hours later. Billy had one last drink before he left. The other two just left. Haven’t seen any of them since.”

Louis kept scribbling notes while Harry began to think. “So, there’s no way to know what they were talking about is there?” Harry asked.

“No. The rooms are private,” Danielle said. “Am I going to get to know what this is all about? Is Billy in trouble or something?”

“Did DiCaprio seem to be particularly interested in anything Billy was saying? What was his behavior like?” Harry asked, ignoring Danielle’s question.

Danielle shrugged. “He wasn’t down here with me very long. He was surprisingly nice to Billy. From what I’ve heard about him, he wouldn’t really...associate with someone like Billy.”

“I agree with you there,” Harry said, his voice thoughtful. “What did this other guy look like? The one that made the phone call.”

Danielle rubbed her chin as she thought back to that night. “He was kind of big for a beta. He’s one of those that you think is an alpha until you get to know them. He had this nasty ponytail hanging off his head. I almost didn’t want him at the bar he looked so dirty. He was in these dark clothes that looked like they needed a good washing. He was just…” Danielle shuddered. “He gave me the heebie-jeebies.”

Harry nodded, looking over the notes Louis had taken. “Thank you, Danielle.”

“You’re really not going to tell me?”

Harry shook his head looking apologetic. “No, I’m sorry. Have a good day.” Harry nodded to both Danielle and the alpha in the corner before shepherding Louis out of the tavern. “I think Billy is definitely part of this. He’s probably the one who did the kidnapping. He’s the one I’d use if I was planning on kidnapping someone’s mate.”

“Maybe we should ask Zayn a couple questions,” Louis said, though Harry’s face mirrored his own disgust at the thought.

“I’d rather not, but we might have to. I want to know if Billy is involved for sure. It seems like he was from what Danielle said. And now I’ve got questions about the man who made the phone call.” Harry sighed. “This feels like it’s not going to end.”

“We’ve got Zayn back and now we’ve got a pretty strong case against DiCaprio. Maybe he’ll give us something when we bring him in in the hopes that it will distract us from him.”

Harry grunted in response, his mind piecing information together. They walked back towards his office in silence, Harry with his hands clasped behind his back and Louis with his hands warm in his coat pockets. After a bit of quiet, Harry put his arm around Louis’ shoulders and pulled him next to him. “Speaking of distractions, don’t think I haven’t forgotten your little escapade at the bar today.”

Louis just smiled and chuckled. “I made you make a promise. I’ve never promised anything.”

“That doesn’t mean you aren’t in trouble, pumpkin,” Harry told him with a smug look pressed into Louis’ hair.

 

 


	18. There's a Note

Liam woke up warm, almost unbearably so, but he was not about to complain. His mate was sprawled over him, head on his chest and leg over his hips. Liam was comfortably pinned to the mattress by his mate. Nothing could ever be better. Liam began gently running his hands through Zayn’s hair. His mate pressed into the touch with a sleepy smile on his lips. “Are you going to wake up for me love?” Liam whispered.

“Five more minutes,” Zayn mumbled, curling tighter around Liam’s side.

“Alright,” Liam murmured. “Five more minutes.”

It only took a couple moments before Zayn groaned and lightly smacked Liam’s chest. “You’re so mean. You woke me up.” Zayn shifted slowly so that he could prop his chin on Liam’s chest. “I can’t get back to sleep if you aren’t asleep with me.”

“Why?” Liam asked.

“I can’t. I’ll miss something.”

Liam chuckled and pressed a kiss to Zayn’s cheek. “You’re not missing anything, but how about some breakfast now that we’re up?”

Zayn’s stomach answered for him by growling rather loudly from somewhere near Liam’s hip. “Breakfast sounds good.” Zayn rolled over, but managed to upset his bad ankle and hissed in pain. “I’m fine, I’m fine,” Zayn mumbled when Liam reached for him with concern etched on his face. “It’s fine.”

“I don’t think you should put any weight on it,” Liam said. “That was something Niall mentioned.”

Zayn shifted into a sitting position with his feet gingerly set on the floor. Liam rolled to his mate. He put his arm around his waist and pulled the smaller boy against his chest. “We can just stay in bed if you want. I’m sure Annie would be happy to bring us our food. I don’t want to cause you more pain.” Zayn kept his eyes on his twisting fingers as Liam talked. “What are you thinking, love?”

“Nothing,” Zayn said too quickly twisting so he could peck Liam on the lips.

The alpha caught Zayn before he could pull away and brought him into a serious kiss, one that left them both breathless. “I don’t think it’s nothing,” Liam murmured.

“I’m scared I won’t be able to walk again,” Zayn admitted, unable to lie when Liam had his brain going a little fuzzy.

“We’re going to Niall’s friend today. He’ll be able to tell us if that’s a possibility. Until that, I’m going to fully believe that you will be able to walk and when you’re all healed and we’re able to go out again, we’ll take a drive up to this trail I know and take a long walk. Maybe we’ll even have a picnic. It’s an incredible view at the top.”

“That sounds nice,” Zayn breathed.

“You know what sounds nicer?” Liam asked pressing another kiss to his boy’s lips.

“What?”

“Sleeping in our own bed.”

Zayn smiled at that thought. “When can we do that?” he asked quietly.

“After your appointment today.Harry told me last night that we could go home. We’ll still have to lay low until Harry gives us the full okay, but we can go home. Annie will be so happy. She’s been busy over there getting ready for us to come back.”

Zayn snuggled into his mate. “I want to go back. I miss it.”

“Me too,” Liam sighed. “I’ll get Annie to bring us something to eat and then we’ll get Niall and head to the city.”

“Niall’s going to come with us?” Zayn asked.

“Mmhmm,” Liam hummed. “He wants to make the introductions. He had to go into the office for an emergency, but said that he’d be back as soon as possible.”

“Okay. Breakfast and then the doctor,” Zayn said simply. “Can you...can you help me get dressed?”

“Of course.” Liam was up and off the bed after a quick peck to Zayn’s cheek. He was practically singing as he busied himself around the room with getting dressed and picking something out for Zayn. “Do you have something specific you want to wear or do you want me to pick?”

“You can pick,” Zayn said softly. He looked over his shoulder at Liam who was standing there with two shirts in his hand. “Those are literally the same, Li.”

“I know, but...I never knew you had green pants,” Liam said as he pulled the garment out the bag Annie had packed for the two of them.

Zayn eyed them with something akin to fear. “I don’t...my sister...she bought them. I’ve never worn them. I don’t think I want to wear them. I could never wear them. I’d look ridiculous.”

“Why do you still have them?”

“I couldn’t ever get rid of them. I didn’t want to upset my sister.” Zayn shrugged. “I guess she wouldn’t know now.”

“I kind of want to see you in them--just once,” Liam said.

“Please, no,” Zayn said feeling a sense of dread settle low in his stomach at the thought of putting those ridiculous pants on.

Liam just chuckled and shook his head. “Okay, angel.” Liam dropped the offending pants on the floor before grabbing another pair. He brought the clothes over to Zayn and crouched in front of the omega on the bed. “Tell me if I do something that hurts, okay?” Zayn nodded. Liam started with some socks to keep Zayn’s feet warm. Shoes would be too much for his ankle right now. Once the thick socks were on his feet, Liam carefully pulled the pants over Zayn’s ankle. The omega sucked in a breath at the initial contact, but seemed okay after that. He had to stand to get the pants over his hips. He steadied himself on Liam’s shoulders. His mate press a kiss just below his belly button once he’d gotten the pants buttoned. “Arms up,” Liam ordered softly. Zayn raised his arms and wiggled his fingers through the sleeves of his shirt as Liam pulled it over his head. When the shirt had cleared his face, Liam rained kisses on his face. “I missed you,” he said.

Zayn wrinkled his nose. “But I didn’t go anywhere.”

Liam smiled. “I couldn’t see your face. I missed your pretty face.” Another kiss and then Zayn was swept into Liam’s arms. “It’s breakfast time.”

Zayn snuggled into Liam as the alpha carried him down to the dining room. He put his mate in a chair and then went to find Annie. Zayn chewed on his lip as he waited. It was going to be okay. No one was going to take him from Harry’s. Liam was just in the other room. If Zayn shouted, would he be able to hear him? Would Liam hear him in time? Zayn almost shouted to test if Liam could hear him, but panic rising in his chest blocked his voice. Tears welled up in Zayn’s eyes. He wanted Liam to be near him. Bad things happened when they were separated.

“Zayn!” Zayn’s eyes snapped to where Liam was standing anxiously in the doorway. He was caught between his embarrassment and relief. He couldn’t help the few tears that slipped out. Liam was at his side in an instant. “What happened angel?” Liam asked wiping away the tears with his thumbs.

“I was scared,” Zayn admitted with a blush. “I...you weren’t here. I got scared because I was alone. I didn’t know if you could hear me where you were. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Oh angel,” Liam sighed. “There’s no need to apologize. I’m sorry for leaving you alone. I know that makes you nervous and I still left. Annie is getting us our breakfast. Louis and Harry should be joining us shortly.”

The words had just come out of Liam’s mouth when a sleepy Louis and rather chipper Harry came into the dining room. Louis dropped into the seat across from Zayn and Harry took the seat to the right of his mate. Liam situated himself next to Zayn, scooting his chair as close to him as possible. “Good morning,” Liam greeted the two newcomers.

“Good morning!” Harry greeted practically singing the words.

“Morning,” Louis grumbled.

“What’s wrong, Louis?” Zayn asked.

Louis had his head resting in one hand and with the other he pointed at Harry and said, “Ask him.”

Liam and Zayn turned to Harry with matching curious expressions. Harry just shrugged. “He flirted with this drunk yesterday and I had to remind him who he belonged to.”

“I don’t belong to you,” Louis grumbled as a warm cup of tea was placed in front of him as the food began to arrive. “I choose to be with you. It’s possibly the worst choice of my entire life.”

“I’m sure you’ve made worse choices than me, pumpkin,” Harry said as he started to peel a banana.

While Harry and Louis bickered about the quality of Louis’ life choices, Liam filled both his and Zayn’s plate even though the boy with the black hair had quietly insisted he could do it himself. Liam just told him to let him make up for leaving Zayn alone in the dining room. Zayn ate slowly, testing how well his stomach could handle the food. Mostly certain he wouldn’t lose what food he ate, Zayn happily emptied his plate and got seconds. Through the bond, Zayn could feel Liam’s happiness, relief, and a bit of pride as he watched his mate eat. Zayn turned to his mate with a matching grin and pointed to Liam’s plate with his fork. “I want to see your plate empty, too, Liam.”

“Yes, sir,” Liam teased as he brought his fork to his mouth.

 

* * *

 

Niall finished rubbing the disinfectant cream into a scrape on the little omega’s knee. She jerked back as it started to sting. He soothed her with a few words and then began talking, “So, I remember you like the color yellow and your favorite food is buttered bread. Today, so far, I’ve learned that your name is Emma. What’s something else you like or think I should know about you?”

Emma nervously chewed her lip as she watched Niall bandage the infected knee. “I like the music my alpha plays at dinner parties,” she said quietly.

“Your alpha? I thought you were with that gentleman that brought you here.”

Emma shook her head. “He’s just one of the servants.”

“Ah,” Niall said, nodding as he checked the bandage once more before putting the first aid kit up. “Well, Ms. Emma. I’m going to give you these pills. Take one in the morning and one at night. It’ll kill off the infection. Keep the bandage clean and use that cream I gave you the last time you were here. Do you still have it?” The girl nodded, gripping the pill bottle tightly. “Any questions before I let you go?” Emma shook her head. Niall helped her down and led her out to the waiting room where the beta that had brought her in was waiting with the same surly expression on his face as when he came in. “Take care of yourself, Emma,” Niall said as the poor girl was dragged off. He found anger rising in him at the thought of such an alpha as she must have. Those bruises, cuts, and scrapes were the tell-tale signs of something bad, something Niall couldn’t prove without Emma’s help, and she wasn’t going to give it to him. He let out his frustration through an angry huff out of his nose before locking up the office and starting the walk back to Harry’s. He needed the time alone to work through the anger before reaching his friends.

Today he was taking Liam and Zayn to his friend in the city. His friend, Dr. Scott Hogan, was better equipped to help Zayn than he was. That was the one drawback to living in town. He didn’t have the means to get all the equipment he might need. It certainly wasn’t everyday that someone came to him with such a severe injury. Niall shook his head. They were going to go in today, and it wasn’t going to be as bad as they thought. Niall pushed the thoughts from his head. The thoughts would no doubt turn dark and he didn’t want to go there right now. Instead, his thoughts turned to the girl he’d just bandaged up. It was the second time in a matter of days that he’d seen her. The earlier injuries didn’t look any better. The pills would hopefully help her. She could get sicker. Niall chewed his lip nervously. The little girl who like the color yellow and buttered bread had been on his mind a lot. She was so...Niall lacked a decent word to describe her, but he could say with certainty that he’d never had a patient leaving him feeling so angry and helpless. He’d seen similar cases before, but he’d felt more...moral discomfort than anything else. Niall sighed heavily to himself. This was all getting a little out of hand. She had an alpha. She was...Niall frowned to himself. He didn’t recall seeing a mark. If she came in again (and he had a dreadful feeling she would), he’d take a closer look.

The doctor pushed open the front door to Harry’s home. He stopped a staff member who was heading into the parlor to ascertain where Harry and the others were. Information retrieved, Niall stopped in the doorway to the dining room to look at them. Louis was slowly eating the food on the plate before him, but it didn’t seem like he was actually aware of what he was doing. Harry was looking over a paper and happily eating his breakfast. Zayn was talking quietly with Liam, his hands moving as he talked with an empty plate in front of him. Liam was listening intently, his fork halfway to his mouth. His plate was half full. He obviously had better things to occupy himself with. “Good morning, everybody,” Niall greeted cheerfully.

“Morning Niall,” the four of them returned at once.

Niall dropped into the seat next to Louis. He reached for a piece of bacon on Louis’ plate, but he was promptly smacked away.

“Try to take a piece and I will kill you,” Louis growled.

Niall sat back with a laugh.

“Yeah, that wasn’t an empty threat,” Louis hissed.

“He had a rough night,” Harry said without looking up from his paper.

“Would you tell the lovely gentleman over there,” Louis said stabbing his fork in Harry’s direction, “that I am no longer speaking to him due to repetitive embarrassment regarding personal matters.”

Niall nodded solemnly. “Harry, my dear lad, it seems your mate no longer wishes to speak to you.”

Harry spared Louis a glance and a careless shrug. “He’ll cave. He always does.”

Louis just glared at his mate before returning to his food. He wasn’t going to deem that worthy of a proper response. Niall turned his attention to Liam and Zayn who were watching the scene before them with amused smiles. Zayn was leaning towards Liam while his mate rubbed circles over his back. “Are you two ready?” Niall asked.

Liam looked to Zayn for the answer. Zayn looked at his mate and then dropped his eyes to Liam’s mostly full plate. “We will be once Liam is done,” he told the doctor.

“Eat up, Liam,” Niall said. “Can’t have you going hungry while giving Zayn heart eyes.”

Liam just rolled his eyes and took another bite of breakfast.

 

* * *

 

Zayn could only think of one word to describe the city: loud. At least, that was what stood out to him most. Overcrowded, busy, terrifying, confusing--these were other words that came to mind as the car stopped in front of a tall brick building and Niall opened the door to get out. Zayn clutched Liam’s hand as the alpha moved to get out of the car. “Can we just go back home? I’m fine. I promise.”

Liam brushed some of Zayn’s hair off of his forehead. He noticed that his mate’s wide, scared eyes focused out the open car door. “We’re going to go in and see Dr. Hogan, and then we can go home. I’m going to be with you the entire time.” Liam stepped out and turned to help Zayn who slid across the seat and into his mate’s arms. The omega wrapped his arms around tightly around the alpha’s neck. He pressed his face into Liam’s chest trying to hide from the city. Liam pressed kisses into Zayn’s hair as he moved to quickly follow Niall. Niall had the door open waiting for the two of them. Liam carefully maneuvered them inside. The waiting room was empty, save for a man sitting on top of what Liam assumed was supposed to be the receptionist’s desk. The man looked up when the door clicked closed. “Niall!” He greeted loudly getting off the counter and pulling the doctor into a big hug.

Niall returned the hug and greeted the man with an amused, “Hello, Scott.”

Scott turned to Liam and Zayn once the two doctors had separated. “You must be Liam,” Scott said. “I’d shake your hand, but I see yours are full.”

Liam smiled and nodded. “I am Liam. Niall had nothing but good things to say about you.” Zayn lifted his head from where it’d been hiding against Liam’s face to get a look at the doctor. He was a beta like Niall and was taller than Zayn had been expecting. His hair was brown and stood up on his head adding at least another three inches to his already impressive height. He looked nice enough, but strangers would always make Zayn nervous.

“I’m guessing you must be Zayn,” Scott said when he caught Zayn’s assessing eye. Zayn nodded and gripped Liam a little tighter. “I’m Dr. Scott. It’s nice to meet you.” He held out his hand for the omega to shake, and Zayn did shake it, hiding in Liam’s chest immediately afterwards. Dr. Scott smiled kindly at the boy before saying, “Let’s get him to the examination room. His ankle is injured right?”

“Yes,” Liam replied. “Niall said it’s definitely broken.”

“I just can’t tell how badly,” Niall put in. “It looks worse than anything I’ve seen before.”

Dr. Scott led them down a hall to a room at the far end. Liam situated Zayn on the examination table. Zayn nervously chewed his bottom lip as he watched Dr. Scott put on a pair of gloves. His heart fluttered nervously. He really didn’t like going to the doctor’s. Nothing bad had ever happened to him when he went to the doctor, but something bad could happen, and that possibility made the omega nervous. He also had a thing against needles, and doctors _loved_ needles. Dr. Scott rolled up to the table on a stool. “Which ankle is it, Mr. Zayn?”

“The left one,” Zayn said softly.

“Alright, let me take a look.”

Dr. Scott saw exactly what Niall had seen the first night he’d examined Zayn, but the cuts around Zayn’s ankle were less red and no longer infected. “How long ago did this happen?” he asked.

Zayn looked to Liam to answer the doctor. “About a week ago. Maybe a bit longer,” Liam said quietly.

Dr. Scott raised an eyebrow but didn't’ comment. Niall had explained that this was a complicated case and he shouldn’t expect many satisfying answers. Something had obviously kept them from getting Zayn the proper help this ankle needed, Dr. Scott just didn’t know what that was. The joint was out of place, but if it’d been a little more than a week, the healing process might be far along enough that it’d require another break to shift the ankle back into place. He could do that if that was what Zayn wanted to do, but then the healing process would start over again, and like Niall said, it was hard to see just how severe this break was from the outside. “I want to get an X-ray of Zayn’s ankle. Do you know what an X-ray is?” Liam and Zayn shook their heads. Liam could recall Niall talking about it excitedly one day, but he couldn’t remember the basics. “Well, I’m going to use a machine that’s going to take a picture of Zayn’s ankle. This picture will let me see Zayn’s bones and I’ll be able to fully assess what exactly is wrong. It won’t hurt and it’ll be over quick. You’ll have to go into a different room, and Liam can’t come in with you, but he’ll be able to be right outside the door, okay?” Zayn gulped but nodded. He could do it. Dr. Scott made it sound like it wouldn’t take too long. Liam pressed a comforting kiss to Zayn’s forehead. “Let’s go so that we can all be together sooner.” Liam picked Zayn up and carried him across the hall to another room. He settled Zayn just how Dr. Scott wanted him on another table and then left the room. Dr. Scott set up the X-ray machine and explained a few last minute things to Zayn before he pressed something on the machine and it started buzzing. Zayn closed his eyes and counted to ten in his head to keep himself calm. He got to eight on his third round of ten when the machine stopped and Dr. Scott was moving it away from his patient. Liam was let back in and Zayn happily snuggled in his mate’s arms as they went back to the first room.

Dr. Scott looked at Zayn’s X-ray with a frown on his face. Zayn’s ankle was, for lack of a better word, destroyed. There was definite evidence of his body trying to heal on its own, and Dr. Scott would hate to go in and ruin that, but he also didn’t want the bones to heal improperly. Zayn was going to have a hard time walking as it was.

“What do you think?” Niall asked.

Dr. Scott handed him the X-ray and began talking, “Whatever happened sort of crushed all the parts of his ankle. You can sort of see where his body has started healing already. I hate to undo that, but I don’t necessarily want to undo all of what his body has done. Would they be comfortable with even the idea of surgery?”

Niall passed the X-ray back to Scott. “I don’t know. If they didn’t want to do surgery, would Zayn be able to walk eventually?”

“Not without significant pain,” Dr. Scott said.

“Let’s not keep them waiting. They’ve both been so worried.” With that the two doctors went back into the room. Liam and Zayn looked up expectantly as they came in.

 

* * *

 

Liam’s driver rolled to a stop in front of the house as the sun just slipped below the horizon. Zayn was asleep in Liam’s lap, exhausted after today’s events. Liam carefully got himself and Zayn out of the car when the driver opened the door for them. Annie was standing on the front stoop much like she had on the first day Zayn had come here. Zayn stirred slightly as Liam walked towards the front door. “We’re home, angel,” Liam said quietly. “You can go back to sleep if you’d like.”

“Okay,” Zayn mumbled. “Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

Annie smiled broadly as they approached. “Welcome home,” she greeted quietly. “You’re room is ready. I have food keeping warm in the kitchen. There was also a package delivered for you,” the housekeeper said. “I don’t know who it’s from. It’s in the kitchen. You don’t have to deal with it now, but I just thought you should know.”

“Are you hungry, Zayn?” Liam asked as they got inside.

“Yes,” his mate said quietly.

Liam followed Annie into the kitchen, keeping Zayn in his lap as they took a seat at the big kitchen table. Annie brought them their food while she drank a cup of tea. A few of the remaining staff members passed through with smiles and relieved murmurs as they got their first glimpse of Zayn safe and sound in Liam’s arms. Dinner was quiet and quick. Annie pushed the package towards Liam. With one look at the handwriting scrawled on the front, Liam almost lost his dinner. “Annie, get me a knife please,” he said quietly. Zayn picked up on Liam’s dread and apprehension shifting in his mate’s lap. Annie did as she was told and watched with just as much anxiety as Liam and Zayn had. The box sat open on the table. The three of them looked in and saw a brown bag Liam felt was vaguely familiar. He lifted the bag carefully from the box and dropped it on the table with a metallic jingle. Liam pulled open the bag and knocked it over. Silver coins rattled out rolling down the table and dropping on their sides. “Annie, call Harry,” Liam said.

“Liam,” Zayn whispered. “There’s a note.”

 

 


	19. A Good Judge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello and Happy New Year!
> 
> I feel like I've fallen off the face of the Earth. I haven't. I'm still firmly on the ground, though I'm in a recliner so I'm only on the ground by proxy. Here is the next chapter. I hope you like it. :)

Louis whimpered as Harry’s hands tightened around his hips. He was trying to be quiet. Mr. Barnes was still finishing up with the rest of the house, and there were other staff members. Harry usually made sure they did things like this once they were sure there wasn’t a chance that some emergency might interrupt them. He was a protective alpha who’d growl and snap at anyone who caught Louis in such a compromising position. Louis pulled at his own hair causing it to stick out in all different directions. He was under a strict order not to touch Harry, and it was positively killing him. “Alpha, please, alpha. Please, please, please,” Louis begged. Harry only grinned up at him and rocked himself a bit closer denying Louis what he was asking for. The omega could beg so prettily, and Harry wanted to savor the sight a bit longer. Louis rocked against Harry’s hands as he begged again for more.

An unexpected knock on the door had Harry moving fast. He brought Louis to his chest and rolled over so the omega was no longer observable by prying eyes. A low warning growl rumbled out of his chest. The noise made Louis’ eyes roll back in his head and a needy whine slipped passed his lips.

“I do apologize, sir,” Mr. Barnes said through the door a bit shaken by Harry’s growl, “but Annie just called and said it was an emergency, and she had to speak to you.”

Harry sighed, looking apologetically at Louis who was a little out of it to fully comprehend what was going on at the moment. “I’ll be right back, Lou. Stay here.” He wrapped Louis up in blankets so there wasn’t the slightest chance that Mr. Barnes may see anything Harry didn’t want him seeing. He took a moment to straighten his clothes (they hadn’t gotten far enough to get completely undressed) before opening the door just wide enough for him to slip into the hallway. Harry had to grit his teeth and ignore Louis’ wounded cries from their bed. He had to help Liam and pleasuring Louis until the boy was in tears was not a way to go about helping his friend. Mr. Barnes looked positively scandalized and had a hard time meeting Harry’s eyes at the moment. “The call is waiting for you in your office, sir,” the butler said before walking quickly down the hall.

Harry sat in his desk chair while he pulled the phone to his ear. “Hello?”

“Harry? This is Annie.”

“Hello, Annie. What’s the emergency?” Harry had hoped that his next challenge would be to convince Judge Pitt that he needed a warrant for DiCaprio’s arrest and a search of his house. He didn’t want Liam and Zayn under any more stress. They were home now. It was time to start the recovering.

“While Liam and Zayn were in the city, a package for Liam arrived. I brought it into the kitchen and waited for them to get home. We opened the package, and it was a bunch of coins. Silver coins. There was a note that said I like to pay for what I take. We...we think it’s from DiCaprio. Liam’s pretty sure with the handwriting and all. He remembers it from the invitations his parents would get from DiCaprio’s parents. What should we do?”

Once Annie had finished talking, Harry realized he’d begun to breathe harder and clench his fists. He shook his head to try to focus and relax. His friends still needed him. “Don’t touch anything more. Keep the staff away from it. I’ll come over in the morning to have a look before I go and talk to Judge Pitt.”

“Okay. Thank you, Harry. You truly are an angel.” With that Annie hung up and Harry sat back in his chair.

“What’s going on?” a small voice asked from the doorway.

Harry looked up at his omega. Louis stood there in one of Harry’s shirts and looked rather rumpled. Harry smiled fondly at the boy as he stood from his desk. “I think Mr. DiCaprio just paid Liam for Zayn.”

Louis frowned. “He’s evil. I don’t like him.”

“Neither do I pumpkin,” Harry said drawing his mate into his arms. “Let’s go back to bed,” he murmured, “which is where I think I told you to stay.”

“Hush,” Louis pretended to scold. “You were taking too long and left me in a bit of a bind.”

“Sorry, pumpkin,” Harry said with a kiss to the top of Louis’ head. “Would you like me to help you out of that bind?” Harry reached around and cupped Louis through the front of Harry’s shirt. He marveled at the fact that the shirt was big enough on Louis to cover the fact that the omega was still fully aroused. Harry must have worked him into a proper state.

“Is it really appropriate?” Louis asked a bit breathlessly.

“We’re celebrating. DiCaprio has buried himself.”

 

* * *

 

Harry was at Liam’s house early the next morning. His appointment with Judge Pitt was in a few hours. He’d stopped by the office to get the supplies he needed to see if the money was the marked money Mr. Higgins had used to buy Zayn from DiCaprio. If it wasn’t, it wouldn’t completely destroy their case; it just meant that DiCaprio would use that money elsewhere. Annie was waiting for him at the door. “Good morning, Annie,” Harry greeted. “You always seem to know just when I’m coming.”

“I was watching for you. I couldn’t sleep last night with that money in the kitchen. I’ve been in the parlor all night. It made me sick to my stomach just thinking about it. I don’t hate people, but I think if there was ever someone I could hate, it would be Leonardo DiCaprio.” Annie shuddered as she said his name. “He truly is vile.”

“I don’t disagree with you there. Are Liam and Zayn awake?” He inquired.

“No. They had a long day yesterday and the _gift_ from DiCaprio didn’t help them at all.”

“I can’t imagine that it did.” Knowing that DiCaprio had sent Liam money for Zayn made Harry sick too. What if he hadn’t found Zayn in time and Liam had received that money? Honestly, Harry wasn’t sure Liam would have survived something like that. Who else had received money and a note after the one they loved had been taken from them? “Where is it?” Harry asked to stop his thoughts from wandering too far.

“In the kitchen,” Annie said. She lead the way down the hall and into the kitchen. The money was just as they left it: mostly in the bag with a few pieces scattered along the table top. The box sat open and empty save for the note in the bottom. Harry viewed it all with a bit of dread mixed with a less than startling amount of curiosity. Why had Leonardo done something like this? It was a little risky if he’d handled the money himself. His fingerprints could be on it. But perhaps that was just it; he sent it because he knew that no one could trace it back to him. As it was, they only had Liam’s guess on the handwriting that it had come from Leonardo. Of course, they knew more than Leonardo thought they did, but that was beside the point. Harry moved to the table and sat in the stool Liam and Zayn had occupied the previous night. He put on a pair of gloves to protect his fingers from the test he would run and to keep his fingerprints from getting on the money in case Leonardo’s fingerprints were present. He pulled his box for the test towards him and opened it to reveal a couple of what Annie would call basters, a few vials of an amber colored liquid, and clothes that looked to have once been white but were now covered in black spots. “Would you like to help me, Annie? I’m going to check all of these coins and count them. Just put on a pair of gloves and we’ll get started.”

“What exactly are we doing?” Annie asked as she pulled on a pair of gloves.

“We’ve put a little bit of copper in the center each marked coin. It’s not noticeable by weight or color. We just have to rub off the silver coating to see it. That’s what this liquid does. It removes the coating with a little bit of elbow grease.” Harry handed her one of the basters and her own vile of amber liquid. “Watch me.” Harry filled the baster with liquid and dropped a couple of drops onto the center of one coin. He rubbed a white cloth gently over the coin. It only took a few moments for a little bronze colored dot to be revealed. “A marked piece.” Harry held it out for Annie to take. She looked at it, felt it in her hand. If Harry hadn’t shown it to her, Annie really wouldn’t have known that that bit of copper was in the middle.

“One,” she said starting to count the coins. They worked for hours and pulled in a couple of other staff members to help. Liam and Zayn offered to assist them, but Harry didn’t let them help. They’re focus did not need to be on this anymore.

By the time they finished, another hour had passed and they had five groups of one hundred coins, so there were five hundred pieces, all of them marked. They’d sent Mr. Higgins into Leonardo’s house with 2,500 pieces. They’d wanted him to be prepared for anything. Upon later hearing his story, they’d sent him in grossly over-prepared, but that was another matter entirely. Zayn had cost 1,000 silver pieces. That money had been taken. Mr. Higgins had returned the remaining 1,500 pieces to Harry once they’d been reunited. Liam had apparently been given 500 as some sick form of payment for his mate. That left 500 pieces unaccounted for. Harry assumed it had been distributed among those involved with Zayn’s kidnapping and selling, but he didn’t know for sure. All that mattered right now was that this was the money Mr. Higgins had bought Zayn with. This was physical proof that Leonardo was breaking the law. Harry collected the marked pieces and the note before standing from the table. Annie repacked his box of supplies and stood with him.

“What does all this tell you?” the housekeeper asked.

“That Leonardo DiCaprio is, as Louis says, evil, and I don’t like him.”

“Do you think you have a strong case for the judge. I’m afraid it’s going to take a lot. The DiCaprio family is old, almost older than the entire town.”

Harry gave her a grim smile. “I know that I have a strong case. DiCaprio’s influence shields him only from the rumors. I have cold, hard facts that prove that he is guilty. A good judge won’t be able to deny it.”

Annie nodded wiping her hands on the apron she wore. “Then let’s hope you find a good judge.”

 

* * *

 

Harry sat with Ms. Harmon outside of Judge Pitt’s office. His secretary sat quietly at her desk clicking away at a typewriter. The dull clacking of her keys created a nice background to the thoughts swirling through Harry’s head. He was going to be doing most of the talking today. Ms. Harmon would fill in anything he might forget. Both alphas were certain their case was foolproof. There were a few loose ends they’d been unable to tie up regarding who had done the actual kidnapping and what Billy, DiCaprio, and the other beta from _Danielle’s_ had talked about in that room, but their case regarding omega-trafficking and Leonardo was air-tight and would be a foot in the door for the other answers. Judge Pitt stepped out of his office breaking Harry from his reverie. The two law enforcers stood when Judge Pitt turned his attention from his secretary to them. “How lovely to see you both,” Judge Pitt greeted. “Won’t you come in?”

Harry took a deep breath and followed behind Judge Pitt and Ms. Harmon into the judge’s office. The two enforcers remained on their feet as the judge settled into his seat behind his desk. He motioned for them to sit. Ms. Harmon did, but Harry remained standing. “So,” Judge Pitt began, “how may I help you this morning?”

Ms. Harmon nodded to Harry who faced the judge with a look of steel. “Two weeks ago, Alpha Liam Payne’s mate Zayn was kidnapped. He called me and I began to investigate with the help of Alpha Harmon. After speaking with Alpha Payne, I discovered that there had been a run in with Alpha DiCaprio a few days prior. I recalled the rumors that surrounded the DiCaprio name and wanted to check them out. I felt like there must be some truth behind them, even if it wasn’t as bad as all of it said. I learned about a maid who had come from the DiCaprio house, but no one had taken the time to follow up on her story and we’d lost contact. I also read up on the case of the guard that had been arrested while DiCaprio’s father had been alive. I talked to him and found out that Alpha DiCaprio’s father had been more hands on with omega kidnapping. He told me that they took the omegas for an auction and he was just the lookout. The guard told me that it was a family business. Alpha Payne talked to me about his suspicions that whoever had taken his mate had used a car and left tire tracks that led to a dirt road. Following the road in both directions, I discovered that the road ran behind Alpha DiCaprio’s house. We deemed this all purely circumstantial and knew we needed a way inside, but we also knew we had no good reason to request a warrant for a search or arrest. Alpha DiCaprio unknowingly provided us with the exact opportunity we needed. He invited Alpha Paul Higgins, the grocer, to a charity event for the City Memorial Orphanage. We’d never heard of the City Memorial Orphanage. Alpha Higgins agreed to go to the party and be our eyes and ears. We supplied him with enough marked pieces to buy Zayn if the omega was there and this charity party wasn’t a charity party. Alpha Higgins attended the party, purchased Zayn, and brought him to my house. There he was cared for by Dr. Beta Horan. The omega had a broken ankle, multiple cuts and bruises, and his mating mark had been covered. He had obviously not been fed enough, but it wasn’t any cause for major concern. I took Alpha Higgins’ statement that night. It can be found in the folder we sent you yesterday.” Harry took a moment to breathe. Judge Pitt glanced at the folder sitting on his desk. “Last night, I received a call from Alpha Payne’s housekeeper regarding a package that had arrived for her employer. Alpha Payne found a bag of silver pieces. I suspected it might be the same pieces that Alpha Higgins used. Once I’d checked I found that all five hundred pieces Liam had been sent were the marked ones we’d given Alpha Higgins.” Harry let that information sink in before making his request. “I am requesting a warrant to arrest Alpha Leonardo DiCaprio for omega trafficking.”

Judge Pitt stared at Harry with a face that betrayed nothing. He opened the folder (for what Harry hoped wasn’t the first time) to skim over the notes and statements Harry had taken. “Who did the actual kidnapping? Was Alpha DiCaprio involved like his father supposedly was?”

“No. We don’t know who was involved. There were no foreign scents in the house. I asked Dr. Beta Horan if there was a way to mask a scent. He said that they might use a cream he’d heard of called Kein Geruch. It masks a scent but gives the person a nasty rash. I also think that one of Alpha Payne’s staff members had a nephew that worked at the house while Zayn was there and then left once Zayn had been taken. This nephew had been approached by Alpha DiCaprio a few days prior to the kidnapping at _Danielle’s_. I have been unable to locate him.”

“Did you consider asking the omega?”

“Judge,” Ms. Harmon said cutting across Harry. “The omega’s testimony would be only complimentary. We only need the warrant for a search arrest for the omega-trafficking. The kidnapping and all other crimes will fall under the arrest by association. We have the evidence and testimony necessary for that.”

Judge Pitt sighed like he was tired, like he’d heard the same speech a thousand times before. “I can’t give you the warrant.”

“What?” Harry squawked. “Have you even looked at the folder?”

“I don’t have to _Mister_ Styles.” Judge Pitt sneered his way over the title he used to address Harry. Even though he didn’t necessarily want to be addressed as _Alpha_ he certainly didn’t want to be called ‘mister’ by someone who still used the old ways of addressing people. “Your investigation is steeped in emotional bias. You and Mr. Payne are friends. Why didn’t you make an announcement and involve the whole town. Mr. Payne is a beloved member of this community. Surely an initial search was warranted. You’ve involved many of your friends in this investigation. Are you, as a _secondary_ crime enforcer, even qualified to be working on a kidnapping case?”

“We kept it quiet in the hopes that it may keep Zayn safe,” Ms. Harmon explained. “We didn’t want the wrong people finding out what we knew and making our job that much harder. Until Mr. Higgins was invited to the charity party, we had no way to solidify our leads.”

“Did you have other leads? Or were you just operating on the assumption that Alpha DiCaprio was behind this omega’s disappearance?” Judge Pitt inquired with a healthy amount of derision coloring his question.

“We had no reason to think anything else, but we were open to other options,” Harry said. “I brought Alpha Harmon in to help me remain objective. She has had no objections to the way I have run my investigation.”

“That may very well be,” Judge Pitt says, “but the fact remains that you kept this investigation secret and involved people who have vested interests in helping you and working against Alpha DiCaprio. Your evidence seems to lead to Alpha DiCaprio’s guilt, but you never considered anything else. This has been a shoddy investigation at best. I can not grant you a warrant. No judge will grant you a warrant.”

“But sir--” Ms. Harmon began, but the judge interrupted.

“Good day, Mr. Styles. Good day, Ms. Harmon,” Judge Harmon dismissed.

Harry fought to keep his snarl to himself as Ms. Harmon forced him out of the room before he could do anything detrimental. She pushed him down the stairs and into her office trying to make as little a scene as possible.

Judge Pitt watched them go with a cold eye. He stood once they were gone and locked the door before returning to his desk and picking up his phone. “Hello, Leo, this is Brad. You’re going to have some trouble from Harry Styles. He knows everything...”

 

 


	20. Have a Nice Day, Mr. Styles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the long long wait! I promise it's not for a lack of inspiration, simply a lack of time. Once my life is more structured I will have more time to write and hopefully finish. The goal is now to finish before February.
> 
> Lots of love!

Alpha DiCaprio rose from his seat in the parlor after hanging up the phone. His mouth remained in a rather amused smirk, a reaction that was no doubt contrary to what the information he received dictated. He found the situation...cute for some odd reason. It was something that had been attempted before, not against him, but it had happened before, and all previous attempts had ended like this one certainly would: failure and safety. DiCaprio rang the handbell on the table next to him as he took his last sip of tea. “Beta Harrison,” DiCaprio greeted. “Bring the car around. I’ve got a visit to pay.”

“Yes, Alpha.”

DiCaprio sat back in his chair thinking of exactly how phrase what he wanted to say in regards to the information he’d received. It was a rather delicate matter. He’d try to be nice at first--he wasn’t a villain after all, just a businessman--but he could and would be ruthless if at all necessary.

“The car is waiting for you, Alpha,” Beta Harrison announced.

“Excellent,” DiCaprio praised rising from his chair. “What’s the weather like today?” Leonardo passed his right-hand man as he went from the parlor to the front hall.

His man followed after with his answer, “It’s still cold. We’re having a proper stretch of winter weather. I’ve got your coat, hat, and gloves out for you already, Alpha.”

“I don’t know what I’d do without you, Harrison,” Leonardo mused as he shrugged into his wool coat. It had been his father’s, and he was only just beginning to properly fill it out. He knew he didn’t appear as imposing as his father had, but there was something definitely...commanding about the image he made in the coat. Harrison made sure the coat sat straight and smooth on the Alpha’s shoulders. Certain he was presentable, Leonardo sauntered through the front door and down his front steps to the waiting car. His driver stood with his door open, closing it as quickly as he could once DiCaprio was inside.

“Where are you off to, Alpha?” the driver asked.

“I’m going to be paying an old friend a visit. I’ll give you instructions on the way.”

“Very good, Alpha.” The car began to crunch along the gravel drive. Leonardo watched his house recede and disappear around a bend in the road with a tired sigh. It was exhausting running his family’s business. His father would probably say he’d been a bit ambitious with this last project, but it had been an opportunity Leonardo simply couldn’t pass up. He’d profited well from it too. If this little hiccup was all the consequence he’d receive, Leonardo could handle it. His father had been a superb teacher, and Leonardo was his star pupil. There wasn’t one lesson that he’d forgotten. Today he’d be calling up his knowledge on fear tactics and logical compliance. His father had always stressed the importance of making a person’s compliance with their wishes seem logical to that person. If someone understood what was in it for them and what they’d be achieving, the rest was easy. Fear tactics were to be used in emergency situations only. Today may very well be an emergency, but Leo would deal with that if that bridge came up.

“We’ll go straight through town and then take the third left,” Leonardo instructed his driver.

“Yes, Alpha.”

Leonardo sat back in his seat. Town was quiet today. Nothing particularly exciting seemed to be happening on this gray-skied Wednesday. The last time something exciting happened on a Wednesday, a man claimed the postman had messed up an important package for his mate and they’d almost brawled in the middle of the street. The man’s mate had stepped in and explained that she’d made the mistake and sent the package back since she’d not been expecting a package and he’d been away. That incident felt like years ago. Leonardo was also a bit of a hermit, so something else exciting may have happened on another Wednesday that he was unaware of. Harrison did a good job of keeping him informed, but he knew that informing him of every bit of town gossip and excitement was even beyond Harrison’s capable hands. Perhaps he’d go out more.

The mere thought of going out in public more often than he already did made him laugh out loud. There was no reason for him to mingle with what his father called “the commoners”. They posed no threat, nor did they offer any interest. They had lives that were strikingly different from him. There was no need to make them feel inferior. They already knew they were.

His driver pulled off the main road. The dirt road leading to Harry’s place was walled in by tall trees whose leaves littered the ground and swirled around the car as it drove past. It was a bit desolate, but Leonardo could picture how lovely it must be in the spring and summer. His thoughts were jarred as the car went over a large bump. “Sorry, Alpha,” the driver apologized. “There was no way around it.”

“Don’t worry. It’s nothing you can help.”

The rest of the drive was uneventful and silent. The dirt gave way to gravel and Harry’s house rolled into view. It was smaller than Leonardo’s house, but it was still decent. It was red brick with black shutters framing every window. Smoke curled from the chimneys, blending in with the gray clouds above. Two tall oak trees stood sentinel, one on each side of the door. There was a window box hanging off one upper level window. There were some...what Leonardo hoped had at one point been alive flowers sitting in it. Now there were just some mostly green stems topped with shriveled up brown petals. Leonardo frowned. He wouldn’t let dead flowers hang off the side of his house. The visiting alpha’s attention was caught by a flutter of movement on the lower floor.

“How long will you be Alpha?” his driver asked.

“Not long. You’ll wait here.”

“Of course, Alpha.”

Leonardo smiled as he driver got out of the car and opened his door.

Inside the house, Mr. Barnes moved quickly from where he’d been watching the approaching car out the parlor window. He’d not been expecting any visitors, and Harry would have told him if he was supposed to expect someone. It wasn’t Ms. Harmon. Her car was red. This one was silver, and Ms. Harmon was definitely not the man sitting in the backseat. Harry was downstairs with Louis playing badminton. Louis was trying to perfect his game, but Harry had had years playing his sister, whose game was almost flawless, and it would take Louis a long time and discipline Mr. Barnes had only ever seen the boy put forth when learning to knit. No one had been more surprised than the butler when the omega had suggested Mr. Barnes teach him to knit. He was actually rather good at it. He’d already made presents for half the staff.

He interrupted their game just as Harry was about to serve. The birdie fell on the floor and Louis gleefully declared, “My point!”

“That’s not fair,” Harry pouted. “We were interrupted!”

“The birdie hit the floor, in bounds, on your side. That’s my point by definition,” Louis insisted.

“Alright, alright. Your point,” Harry conceded. “What can I do for you Mr. Barnes?”

“Sir, there’s someone visiting. Were you expecting someone?” Mr. Barnes asked wringing his hands. (It was a nervous habit he had never been able to shake.)

“Who is it?” Harry asked, the joking tone gone as he fully caught on to his butler’s nerves. Mr. Barnes’ eyes darted towards Louis who was too busy trying to flip his racquet without dropping it to see the worry lining the butler’s face. “We’ll continue this later, pumpkin,” Harry said. He set his racquet down before following Mr. Barnes. “Who is it?” He asked again.

“I didn’t want to say anything in front of Louis, in case it upset him, but--”

They reached the door before Mr. Barnes could finish. (They’d walked rather quickly as their nerves got the better of them.) Harry glanced out the window and turned sharply when the voice he’d simply die without came with a question, “Who is it, Harry?”

“Mr. Barnes, will you please take Louis upstairs. Stay with him until I come and get you.”

“Yes, sir,” Mr. Barnes said. He placed a gentle hand on Louis’ arm to guide the boy upstairs, but Louis jerked away looking petulant and a tiny bit fearful.

“Harry, who is it?”

Harry glanced out again. “Leonardo DiCaprio.”

“What?” Louis squeaked. “What’s he doing here? This isn’t normal!” Louis’ panic spread along their bond. “What does he want?”

Harry placed strong hands on his mates shoulders. “I’ll figure out what he wants. I want you to go upstairs and knit with Mr. Barnes.”

Louis nodded mutely pressing a quick kiss to Harry’s cheek before following Mr. Barnes upstairs. Harry took a deep breath as he turned to the front door just as the doorbell rang. He pulled open the door meeting Leonardo DiCaprio face to face. “Alpha DiCaprio, what a surprise,” Harry greeted.

Leonardo chuckled. “Harry, my dear boy. Call me Leo, please. We are friends after all.”

“Of course, Leo. Come in.” Harry stepped aside to make space for Leonardo to come inside.

The visiting alpha stepped inside with curious eyes, their gaze sweeping the length of Harry’s front hall. “I don’t think I’ve ever properly been in you home, Harry. I recall a garden party your sister threw a couple of years ago, but that was just your backyard. You and Louis don’t seem to host very much.”

Harry kept careful eyes on Leonardo. They’d never been particularly close. Invitations to parties at each other’s houses were more a polite formality than a serious wish for the other to attend. “We don’t. I’m busy at work more often than not, so when we do get time to spend together, we like to keep to ourselves.”

“Do you keep busy?” Leonardo asked, turning his eyes on his host. “Certainly there’s not that much Secondary Crime here.”

“There’s more than one might assume. Secondary Crime is a rather large category.”

Leonardo nodded as if he understood or truly cared about what Harry had to say. “I suppose it is. Have you ever considered switching to Primary Crime?”

If Harry hadn’t been on edge the moment Leonardo DiCaprio crossed his threshold, he certainly was now. He couldn’t ever remember having such a long conversation with the man before, and he wasn’t appreciating where this one was heading. “I thought about it earlier in my career, but those cases can get intense. I’m happy where I am, and Louis worries less.”

Leonardo flashed Harry a smile that the law enforcer hoped was meant to be more charming than it was. “How thoughtful.”

Harry ignored how his skin crawled at the words. He motioned toward the parlor asking, “Would you like to sit down. I can get someone to bring us some tea.”

“No need to make any tea. I won’t be staying that long. I will take the seat, however.” Leonardo entered the parlor first followed by Harry. The visitor took a high-backed, black leather chair that Harry and Louis had purely for balance in the room. Harry could honestly say he’d never sat in that chair nor had he ever seen anyone sit in that chair before now. It was a cold, unwelcoming seat that everyone but Leonardo had avoided. Harry couldn’t help but think that Leonardo was perfectly suited for the seat he chose. “I won’t lie to you, Harry. You were kind enough to let me in your home unannounced; I won’t betray that hospitality. I come with a bit of uncomfortable gossip that I’d like to get straightened out before it gets too far along.” Harry’s heart rate picked up speed. “I got a call today that you had said some things about me and some connections you thought I had to some omega trafficking ring. I came to tell you that you shouldn’t waste your precious time investigating those silly rumors. It’s been done before. I’m sure someone can show you those reports. Nothing was ever found in any of them. Please tell me you haven’t spent too much time on this silly goose chase.”

Harry’s hand curled into a fist. “Trust me. I’ve not wasted any of my time.”

Leonardo clapped his hands together, startling his host. “Wonderful. I’m glad to hear it.” The visiting alpha got to his feet, straightening the coat he’d never taken off. “It’s been lovely to chat. We should do it more often.”

“I’ve not wasted any of my time, Leo. I have run a thorough investigation. I know you. I will not be deterred by one failure.”

Leonardo smiled as one might smile at a stubborn child. “My family has been a prominent member of this town for years. We’re involved in a lot of people’s lives. It’d be a shame to tear that all down for some investigation.”

“I’m curious. Who exactly did you hear this gossip from? I’ve not been very vocal about my investigation out of respect for those involved,” Harry said leaning forward so that he was braced on his knees.

“Let’s just say he’s a good friend of mine,” Leonardo replied coyly. “Tell me Harry. Are you and Louis thinking about kids?”

Harry was caught off guard by the sudden change of topic. He forced himself to think before answering. “We’ve talked about it. No decision has been made.”

“They say kids fill a place up, make it warmer. I don’t know if you need that.”

Harry’s fists clenched. “My mother wants grandchildren.”

“I’m sure she does. My mother wanted them too. I just could find the right person for it before I lost her.”

“I’m sorry.” Harry was done with this visit. He wanted Leonardo out of his house and he wanted to run around locking every door and window. His visitor made his skin crawl and worry for his mate.

Leonardo waved his condolences off. “It’s alright. She always insisted I be happy no matter how long it took. I’d hate for anyone to be lonely like me...or Alpha Higgins.”

Harry was on his feet in a moment. Leonardo looked up with an amused smile on his face. “Get out of my house,” Harry growled.

“Harry, please. I’m simply--”

“Get out of my house. Don’t come back. Don’t come near Louis.”

Leonardo spread his hands, seeming to motion to the room at large. “Have I made a threat?”

No one would ever say that Harry Styles has a temper. He was not an alpha who was quick to anger; he was rather levelheaded. Louis, however, had his heart. A threat against Louis was a threat to him. Both were death wishes, though threatening Louis was worthy of being slowly dismembered while still alive. Leonardo DiCaprio was a bad man who was threatening to take away Harry’s only reason to live. Sure he hadn’t said it in so many words, but Harry was not an idiot, and he would not be swayed by smooth words. “You have. I want you out. If I sense someone is casting a less-than-friendly eye on my mate, I will take care of it myself. Do you understand?”

Leonardo now got to his own feet. “It was lovely to chat. Have a nice day, Mr. Styles.”

“Have a nice day, Mr. DiCaprio.”

His visitor paused in the doorway and met Harry’s eye. Harry raised his chin, a silent challenge that the other alpha met with a raised chin of his own. Harry didn’t move until he heard the front door close and the car roll away. Closing his eyes as he took a deep breath, Harry calmed himself down as well as he could before he went upstairs. It didn’t work. DiCaprio’s veiled threat rang in his head: _...or Alpha Higgins._ He needed to see Louis right this instant. Harry tore through his parlor, tripped up the stairs, and burst into his bedroom. A shriek and a warm body greeted him. Harry leaned against the doorframe with his arms wrapped tightly around his Louis. He peppered Louis’ face and hair with kisses. “You’re not to leave my side for the foreseeable future. Is that understood?” Harry said, his tone catching all of Louis’ attention.

“Yes. Understood. What happened?”

“I’d rather not frighten you, pumpkin.”

“Well, that’s already been accomplished. You’re practically oozing panic and anger. What’s going on?”

Harry brushed some of Louis’ hair off his forehead. “Leonardo and I chatted. He threatened you. I told him I’d kill him if anyone so much as looked at you wrong.” Louis nodded, burying his face in the crook of Harry’s neck. “Mr. Barnes, I want you to tell the staff to be on alert. Anything--no matter how small it may seem--that appears out of place must be reported to me immediately.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll tell them now. Do you need me to do anything else?”

Harry shook his head. “No, thank you.” Harry pressed Louis closer to him. The omega balked a bit at the crushing weight of Harry’s embrace, but he couldn’t find it in himself to voice his rather small objections. Mr. Barnes nodded, leaving them to themselves. “You’re not upset are you? I’m sorry you’re now thrown in the middle of this. Nothing will happen to you. I’m certain of that.”

“So am I,” Louis said, looking up at his mate.

“Yeah?” Harry went over to the bed and sat with his boy in his lap.

Louis snuggled close, drawing and giving comfort. “Yeah. I’ve got you.”

 

 


	21. We've Got Him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello! 
> 
> Here's another chapter! Things have fallen into place. I'm so excited, but I'm also a little sad because the end is nearing. I hope you all have been enjoying this. I certainly have. 
> 
> Just to address this now...  
> I've gotten some comments regarding a lack of Ziam. I'm missing it just as much as you all are (this chapter hopefully will cheer up my Ziam lovers). The way this story is going, Ziam isn't going to be as involved as they have been because it's just not how this story is going to resolve. I will try to include them as often as I can, but no promises. I've not forgotten them or thrown them away. I could never ever do that. Think of they're seeming absence as a way for me, as the author, to let the poor boys recover. It's been a bit of a rough story for them...
> 
> And one more thing about this chapter: please just go with me on the medical stuff. I did some very minimal research into the whole thing, and this is what I came up with. It's probably far from accurate, and for that I apologize.

Harry stepped out of the car and paused to look up at the law enforcement building in the center of the city. It was taller than the one in town, four stories instead of two. It’d be nice to have more space. Maybe the crime divisions were on separate floors with their own separate filing areas. Back home, everyone was on the same floor, all their files crammed into one room. It was a mess and things got misplaced easily. Having more space would go a long way.

“Didn’t you mom teach you not to stare?” Ms. Harmon teased.

“Is this all of their law enforcement?”

“It’s just the central building. There are others around the city so that there’s some law enforcers everywhere. First floor is Secondary Crime, then Primary Crime, and finally the judges on the top two floors. We’re headed all the way up to the top.”

They walked in to a relatively quiet floor. It was almost like home, but just as Harry suspected, there was plenty of space. Enforcers were not crammed on top of each other scribbling their notes on desks overflowing with reports they didn’t want to lose to the filing room. Ms. Harmon pulled an enforcer aside to ask where the stairs were. Pointed in the right direction, the two enforcers climbed to the top of the building. Along the wall as they climbed were photos, newspaper clippings, and letters detailing major cases, victories, and community thanks. Harry wished he had time to stop and read it all, but he was on a case of his own. They had a wall like this in their office, but they didn’t have nearly as much memorabilia. “So, how do you know this judge?” he asked, dragging his eyes from the articles on the wall.

“I worked with him before. One of my cases overlapped with one here. We’ve kept in touch,” Ms. Harmon explained. “He can be a bit off-putting at first, but he’s great at what he does.”

“Every judge is off-putting. That’s part of the job description,” Harry said with a smile.

Ms. Harmon conceded his point with a shrug and a nod. “True, but he’s...I don’t know...different. You’ll see.” They reached the top floor. Ms. Harmon led the way through the lobby to the door. Harry made note of the lack of secretary as Ms. Harmon knocked.

“Come in,” a gruff voice called.

Ms. Harmon pushed open the door with Harry right behind her. A lean alpha sat behind a giant desk in a black leather chair. The whole scene reminded Harry of his father sitting in his study. Intimidating, daunting, terrifying were a few of the words that came to Harry’s mind to describe the alpha sizing him up behind the desk, but there was one that rang loud and clear above the others: powerful. His face revealed the years of work this man had seen, his eyes were dark and guarded. He turned this eyes from Harry to Ms. Harmon. “Angie, it’s lovely to see you again,” the judge greeted.

“It’s good to see you again as well, Simon,” Ms. Harmon returned. “May I introduce Harry Styles.”

“Hello, Judge Cowell,” Harry greeted holding his hand out for the judge to shake.

Judge Cowell stood and shook Harry’s hand. His grip was firm, something Harry appreciated. “Ms. Harmon called me last night and I got your reports this morning. Is there anything you’d like to add to them?”

Harry opened his mouth to repeat the speech that he’d given Judge Pitt, but Ms. Harmon beat him to it. “We have nothing to add. Do you have any questions for us?”

“Why did you decide to keep this investigation so quiet?” Judge Cowell asked.

Ms. Harmon motioned for Harry to answer. “We didn’t want the wrong people to find out about where our investigation was going. It was kept quiet in order to ensure the safety of both Zayn and Liam.”

Judge Cowell nodded. “Very good.” He opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a yellow piece of paper. Harry’s eyes widened and his heart sped up. He was almost afraid to believe this was happening. Judge Cowell handed Harry the piece of paper. “I expect a report following this.”

Harry took it with a slight tremor shaking his hand. “Yes, sir.”

The detectives shook the judge’s hand and left the office. Once Harry had gotten his head around what had just happened, Harry gave Ms. Harmon a sideways glance and a smirk. “So, Angie…?”

Ms. Harmon scoffed and rolled her eyes. “The case we worked on was a difficult one. We all got really close.”

“Sure,” Harry drawled.

Ms. Harmon just drove and rolled her eyes.

 

* * *

 

Liam’s foot tapped nervously against the floor of Dr. Hogan’s waiting room. He wasn’t in there alone today. There was a woman and her two children, one of whom stood holding his mother’s skirt and sucking his thumb. The woman seemed not to mind being in the waiting room. Today’s visit must not be anything dire. Liam envied her calm. He’d been in a doctor’s office too many times over the past few days and each time brought a fresh wave of anxiety. He wondered if he’d ever be able to go to a doctor without feeling sick to his stomach again. Liam flexed and clenched his fists once again.

_“Liam, I think I want to try the surgery that Dr. Hogan mentioned,” Zayn said quietly into the dark._

_Liam looked at his mate’s nervous face in the silver glow of the moon. “Yeah?”_

_Zayn nodded, his hair brushing along Liam’s jaw. “He said it’s my best chance at walking as normally as I can, and I want to walk again.”_

_Liam pressed his lips to Zayn’s forehead. “Alright, angel. I’ll call Dr. Hogan tomorrow morning.”_

It was the next afternoon after that late night conversation. Dr. Hogan had invited Niall to help him with the surgery while his assistant took care of the other afternoon appointments. Liam had Zayn’s big brown eyes looking at him nervous and afraid as Niall prepped him for the surgery. Liam had tried to keep his own nerves to himself, but their bond was still so fresh and Liam had always been an open book, so he knew he’d failed. Still, he’d kissed Zayn and told him he’d see him later just before Niall ushered him out of the room. It’d been almost two hours at this point. Liam was close to pacing as nervous energy and a muted sense of uselessness bubbled inside of him. He hadn’t heard anything from either doctor or a nurse that Dr. Hogan had introduced him to for what felt like years. He needed some information now. Liam stood from his seat and began pacing. The woman watched him with a curious expression, but made no verbal comment.

“Liam,” a voice called.

Liam froze feeling all the blood drain from his face as Niall’s voice broke through the silence of the waiting room. It could go one of two ways, and Liam only wanted it to go one way. Why wasn’t Niall saying anything?

“Liam,” Niall said again. “He did really well. He wants to see you.”

Liam almost fell to his knees with relief, but he wanted to see Zayn more than he wanted to cry with joy. Niall led him back to the room where he’d initially left his mate in. Niall caught Liam by the arm just before they passed through the door. “He’s still a bit groggy, so just be careful.” Liam nodded and Niall let him go with, “I’ll send Dr. Hogan in in a few minutes.”

Liam took a deep breath before he entered the room. Zayn was laying on the bed with his bad ankle propped up and a blanket wrapped around the rest of him. He looked a little pale, but if Niall wasn’t worry, Liam wasn’t worried. As Liam got closer, Zayn rolled his head on his pillow to properly look at his mate. He managed a weak smile that Liam returned brilliantly. “Hey there, angel,” Liam greeted quietly as he pulled up a chair.

“Liam,” Zayn croaked. His hand peeked out from under the blanket.

Liam immediately gripped his mate’s hand. “How are you feeling, Zayn?”

The omega frowned, shifting slightly which caused him to wince. “I’m tired,” he said softly.

LIam pressed a kiss to his boy’s forehead. “I’ll bet you are. I’m so happy you’re awake.”

“I’m happy you’re here. I was scared, but Dr. Hogan is a very nice man. He said that I was doing surprisingly well for someone who was going into surgery. Do you know when we can go home? Annie promised me pie when we got back.”

“I thought I heard her singing. She always sings when she bakes.” Zayn giggled and Liam was sure he’d never hear a more perfect sound. “I’ll have to talk to Dr. Hogan, but I’m sure we can go home soon.”

“Of that I have no doubt.” Both Zayn and Liam looked to the door where Dr. Hogan was now standing with a clipboard in hand. “Zayn, your surgery went very well.”

“Will I be able to walk?” Zayn asked hope lacing his words.

Dr. Hogan’s smile stayed on his face, but it lost some of its brightness. “You will, but it will take a long time. Like I originally feared, your body had begun to heal itself. I managed to get your ankle realigned as best I could. You’ve got a cast on it now, and it’ll stay on for about two months. We’ll be having check-ups throughout that time so we can monitor your recovery. I don’t want you putting any weight on it as it’s healing now. Once we get the cast off, we’ll slowly get you to put weight on it again. We’ll handle all of that at a later appointment. These will help with the pain. It’s going to hurt, but you’re going to be okay. I won’t lie, you might not ever walk normally again or without a little pain, but you’ll walk.”

Liam took the pill bottle. “Thank you,” he said, “for everything.”

Dr. Hogan smiled. “Of course. I’m happy to help. Get him home and make sure he rests.” The doctor left them after that.

Liam turned to Zayn once more with a stupid grin on his face. “Let’s go home.” With Niall’s assistance, Liam got Zayn into the car. He sat in the backseat with his omega while Niall drove singing old songs Liam had never before. Zayn’s eyes drooped as they drove. He let Niall’s voice and the hum of the engine lull him into a half-sleep. He was only somewhat aware of when the car stopped and Liam gingerly shifted him into his arms. He wrapped his arms around Liam’s neck as they went into the house and up the stairs to their room. Annie had already pulled the blankets back so Liam could nestle him in the sheets and blankets. Zayn was propped up on a couple of pillows so he was basically sitting up without having to put forth much effort. “Do you need anything right now?” Liam asked.

Zayn thought for a moment before he replied, “Some water would be nice.”

Liam nodded and called for some water. Annie appeared moments later with a glass of water accompanied by a piece of pie. “There’s my brave patient,” she said as she placed the tray of food and water on the table beside Zayn. “How are you feeling, darling?”

“Tired,” Zayn murmured.

“I’ll bet,” Annie said as she brushed some hair out of Zayn’s face. “Drink your water and I brought you the pie I promised. Then you can get some sleep.”

“Thank you, Annie,” Zayn said with a sleepy smile.

“Anything for you.” Liam thanked her as well, and then the housekeeper was gone. Liam helped Zayn with the water and the pie, talking quietly about nothing at all. Zayn managed a few soft chuckles, but then the pie was gone and the sleep that had been lurking in the corner crept over him.

“Get some sleep,” Liam encouraged. “I’ll be here when you wake up.”

Annie sank into a chair in the billiards room with a giggle as Louis celebrated a strike with his signature happy dance. Harry had dropped the boy off early that morning before going to the city with Ms. Harmon. He’d not been very specific (he was in a rush after they’d run a bit late leaving his house), but he’d given them strict orders not to let Louis out of their sight. Louis had coaxed Mr. Higgins into a bowling game, which had turned into a long string of games as Mr. Higgins tried to beat Harry’s omega. Annie was almost positive Louis was cheating, but she’d never betray the boy. Mr. Higgins just shook his head and smiled at her as if sharing a secret fondness for the boy dancing next to him. Annie shook her head, feeling the same fondness she saw in the grocer.

“How is Zayn?” Mr. Higgins asked as Louis stopped dancing and recorded the score.

“He’s fine, just tired. Poor boy. Things can only go up from here,” Annie said.

“Will he be able to walk?” Louis asked.

“I hope so. I didn’t stay to chat for too long.”

Louis nodded. “Now can I have a slice of pie?”

Annie and Mr. Higgins chuckled. Louis had been asking for pie since he’d watched Annie bake it. Annie had promised him a piece after Zayn got some. She wouldn’t cut into it until Zayn and Liam had come home. “Yes. You can now have some pie.” Annie pushed herself out of the chair. “Would you--?”

The doorbell rang interrupting the housekeeper’s question. Annie frowned as she turned towards the door “Odd. We’re not expecting anyone.” Mr. Higgins felt a stab of suspicion and protectiveness pulse through him. This house had been through enough in the last couple of weeks. He and Louis both followed behind Annie as she went to the front door. The housekeeper peered through the peephole, pulling the door open when she saw it was only Ms. Harmon and Harry. “What are you two doing here? I thought you had a meeting with the city judge.”

“We did,” Harry said. “Where are Liam and Zayn?”

“They’re upstairs,” Annie said. “Zayn had surgery today. I think he’s sleeping. Let me go get Liam. He’ll no doubt be awake.” Annie went upstairs leaving the two detectives and Mr. Higgins in the front hall. Her ears caught Louis beginning his story about the epic bowling games he and Mr. Higgins had been playing. She popped her head into the room she’d only just left. “Liam?” she called.

The alpha looked up from the book he’d been reading next to his sleeping mate. “Yes? Is everything alright?”

“Harry and Ms. Harmon are back from the city.”

“What’s the news?” Liam asked, discarding his book.

“Harry didn’t say. I think he wants to tell you first,” Annie explained.

Liam looked down at his sleeping mate. “I don’t want to leave him. Tell them all to come up here, please.”

Annie nodded, disappearing and returning with the full party. Harry approached Liam with a beaming grin on his face. He pulled the piece of yellow paper Judge Cowell had given him from his coat pocket and handed it to Liam. With a puzzled expression, Liam took the paper. He slowly unfolded it. His eyes traveled over the words once...twice...three times before he looked up at Harry with an excited but questioning look. “What does it mean?” he asked breathlessly.

If possible, Harry’s grin got even wider. “It means that we’ve got him.”

Liam handed Harry the paper before he crushed it in his hand. He pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes, but tears--happy tears--still escaped. Louis whooped and clapped his hands. Annie gasped, covering her open mouth with her hands and swaying on her feet. Mr. Higgins wrapped an arm around her shoulders to steady her with a huge smile on his face. Zayn stirred next to Liam, reaching out for Liam’s arm when he saw his mate crying. “Liam? Liam, what’s wrong?”

Liam turned with a smile to his mate. “Nothing, angel. Absolutely nothing is wrong.”

“Why are you crying?” Zayn asked thoroughly confused by all the people in the bedroom and why they were all in different states of what seemed to be overwhelming joy.

“Harry got a warrant for DiCaprio’s arrest. We’ve got him.”

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please, please, please let me know what you thought!
> 
> Also, if any bits of Mr. Higgins' situation is different than previous chapters let me know. I couldn't find anything, but some of you may be able to remember better. 
> 
> Xoxo


	22. You Came

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all!
> 
> I hope you've been having really good weeks. It's my first week back at school and I'm going bonkers without anything to do. Of course I say that now and then mid-semester I'll be in tears because I simply don't have time to do everything I need to. 
> 
> Anyway... I hope you enjoy this chapter. I'm super excited about it!
> 
> P.S  
> The curly B looking thing in front of the 200,000 in Beta Harrison's ledger is the equivalent of our $ in their world.

Harry’s car led the way up the gravel drive to Leonardo DiCaprio’s mansion. The gray skies that had haunted them for the past week had finally broken and the sun gave the whole property an oddly cheery appearance. Harry couldn’t help but feel the irony of such a happy sight hiding such a dark secret. Behind him was Ms. Harmon’s car. She was driving two other detectives and the third car in their little caravan carried Niall, Mr. Higgins, and two more detectives. Louis was once again at Liam and Zayn’s house. (Harry had given the omega strict orders to stay by his side no matter what, but the boy was safer with Liam right now than he would be with Harry. Besides, someone had to tell Liam and Annie when they were smothering Zayn.) Thoughts of Zayn and Louis had Harry’s hands tightening their grip on the steering wheel. Today was the end of the terror that had entered their lives. Pulling to a stop, Harry was the first to get out of the car. The sprawling mansion before him felt small as the yellow warrant securely in his pocket promised him unlimited access to every square inch of the place. The others joined him, and with a steadying breath, Harry looked each of them in the eye. “Do we all know the plan? Are there any last minute questions?” His query was met with determined faces and silent lips. “Let’s go.” Harry, flanked by Ms. Harmon and another detective, led the way up the grand front steps. He pulled the doorbell and then they waited.

Moments after the echo of the bell faded, the large front door swung open. A middle aged beta woman in a long grey dress greeted them with her head bent and hands behind her back. “May I help you, Alpha?”

Harry couldn’t help but stare at her. It was unusual for a beta to assume such a submissive stance. A nudge from Ms. Harmon had him shaking his head and answering the woman’s questions. “I’d like to speak to Leonardo. Could you get him, please?”

The woman’s eyes darted up to meet Harry’s as the word please left his lips. She nodded before she disappeared inside the house. It felt like eons before she returned with a calm, smug Leonardo. “Harry,” DiCaprio boomed, “what do I owe this wonderful visit to?” He seemed to not even see the others gathered behind Harry.

With a smug look of his own, Harry drew the yellow warrant from his pocket. “Do you know what this is?” Harry inquired. (There was a strong possibility he enjoyed the look of fear that darted across Leonardo’s face a little too much.)

“It looks like a yellow piece of paper, Harry. It hardly seems worth a second thought.” The detectives behind Harry shared pleased looks of their own as their ears caught the nervous tremor in Leonardo’s voice and fear began to roll off the alpha in waves.

Harry made a show of unfolding the paper and reading the words to himself before looked up at Leonardo. Ms. Harmon and the others were obviously getting fidgety the longer Harry drew this out, but they were enjoying watching DiCaprio squirm just as much as Harry was. “Would you read this for me please?” Harry asked, however, his question was directed to the beta woman who had answered the door and not left Leonardo’s side rather than the alpha who was beginning to sweat.

She looked shocked that Harry had even addressed her, but she did as she was asked after a glance toward her employer. “Judge Simon Cowell hereby authorizes the arrest of Alpha Leonardo DiCaprio who has been charged with omega trafficking on December 13th. Law Enforcer Harry Styles will arrest Alpha DiCaprio, and a team chosen by Alpha Styles will search Alpha DiCaprio’s home for any and all evidence pertinent to the case against him. A meeting with the aforementioned judge will be held on January 5th at nine o’clock in the morning. Between the date this warrant is served and the date of the above meeting, Alpha DiCaprio will be detained in prison.” Once she reached the end of the warrant, she looked up at Harry with wide, shocked eyes.

“Thank you, ma’am,” Harry said as he took the warrant from her. He turned his attention to Leonardo now. “Will you come quietly, or do you want to make a scene?”

Leonardo smoothed his coat and met the eyes of the beta woman who’d read out the warrant. “Who here would benefit if I made a scene?” Leonardo asked.

Harry shrugged. “None of us would really care, but I know some people’s pride won’t let them go without a fight.”

“I’ll go quietly,” Leonardo said.

Harry motioned for two detectives to escort DiCaprio to Ms. Harmon’s car. Once the Alpha was in the back seat the detectives took up their posts guarding the car and making sure DiCaprio didn’t get away. Harry spoke again to the woman who had answered the door. “What’s your name?”

“Beta Edwards,” she replied quietly.

“Are there any members of the staff here that will give us any trouble?”

The woman bit her lip, eyes darting side to side in an effort to determine who was around. “Beta Harrison will,” she said, her voice just above a whisper. “He’s Alpha Dicaprio's right hand man.”

“Where is he right now?” Harry asked.

Before Beta Edwards could reply, a burly man with a hard face came up. “What’s going on?” he demanded. Beta Edwards squeaked and darted off. The man that had approached sized Harry and his team up as he waited for an answer.

“We’re here to fulfill this warrant,” Harry said nodding to the paper still in his hand. “We’ve arrested Alpha DiCaprio and are now going to search the house for evidence.”

“On what charge?” the man asked.

“Omega trafficking.”

A flicker of panic snapped in the man’s eyes before they returned to their former steely gaze. “Then by all means search. You’ll find nothing. He’s not guilty.” The man spun on his heel and disappeared down the hall.

Mr. Higgins spoke up. “That was the man who took the money for Zayn. I think he’s Beta Harrison.”

Harry nodded. “Alright. Ms. Harmon, search downstairs. Niall, search upstairs. Mr. Higgins, come with me. You’re going to show me where that charity party was.”

With determined nods, the group split. Ms. Harmon took a couple of detectives with her and Niall took a few with him. Harry followed Mr. Higgins down the front hall. There was a small boy with a dirty white rag in his hand was polishing a porcelain vase on a table pushed against the wall at the end of the hallway. He looked up at the approaching alphas with wide blue eyes that were full of something akin to terror. His little body started to tremble as he backed away from the vase. Harry dropped to his knees and stopped the boy with outstretched hands and warm smile. The boy was obviously torn, so Harry spoke softly, “Hey, bud. What’s your name?”

“Oliver,” the boy replied just as softly.

“What are you up to?”

“Cleaning that vase. Alpha gave me simple task because I’m too little for other things.”

Harry nodded, agreeing with the logic. “Do you want to clean the vase?”

“Honest answer?” the kid asked twisting the rag in his hand.

“Honest answer.”

“No. I want to be outside.”

Harry smiled wide. “Well, Oliver, why don’t you give me that rag, I’ll take care of the vase, and you can go play outside.”

“Really?” Oliver asked, his face first lighting up with happiness and then clouding over with suspicion.

“Really, really.” Oliver dropped the rag and dashed outside. Harry stood with a smile and looked back at Mr. Higgins who had watched the whole scene with a smile of his own. “We should get moving. I have a feeling Beta Harrison is going to try to make our lives difficult.” Mr. Higgins nodded, his smile fading being replaced by a determined line. He thought back to his last visit here. DiCaprio had just seemed to push the wall to open the door. Mr. Higgins did as he remembered Leonardo had, and the wall opened inward. A glance was spared for Harry, and then Mr. Higgins led the way down the dark tunnel with the flickering electric lights. Harry kept up with Mr. Higgins who had set a brisk pace. The door at the end of the tunnel had been left open, showing off the large empty room on the otherside. Harry paused at the top of the staircase leading into the room. The fireplaces around the room were dormant and the lights along the walls were dimly glowing. The empty stage in the center of the room appeared more sinister than Harry hoped it was during the “party”, but he highly doubted that. It was probably much, much worse.

“He’s back here.”

Mr. Higgins jogged down the stairs and across the room with Harry on his heels. They went through the only other door in the room that led to where Mr. Higgins had paid for Zayn. The man who had passed by earlier was at the desk. He was frantically packing black books into a bag while muttering to himself and glancing at the phone sitting quiet on the corner of the massive desk. “I’d stop doing whatever it is that you’re doing,” Harry said.

The man behind the desk froze, took a deep breath, and looked up at the two alphas. “I’m not you, am I?”

“No, but you will be under arrest for aiding a criminal. What have you got there?” Harry asked with a nod towards the books being packed into a bag.

“Don’t talk to me like that,” the man sneered. “You are not better than me.”

“No, but I think I have the upper hand in this situation. Step away from the desk, sir,” Harry ordered. The man raised his chin, a challenge to the intruding alphas. “Don’t make this harder than it has to be.”

The man turned his attention to Mr. Higgins. “I remember you,” he said. “You came here for the last party. Did you know that he bought a boy from us? Weren’t you going out of town?”

“I lied,” Mr. Higgins said simply.

The man frowned. “He still bought a boy.”

“That was my doing,” Harry said, tired of the stalling. “Step away.”

“Or what?” The man’s chin ticked up another notch.

“I’ll forcibly remove you,” Harry said.

The man scoffed. “I’d like to see that.”

Harry turned to face Mr. Higgins with a raised brow. Mr. Higgins shrugged and motioned towards the offending beta behind the desk. Harry lunged across the desk tackling the beta who’d been challenging him throughout this little interlude. The man bucked and elbowed and tried to throw a few punches, but Hary, as an alpha, overpowered him with little effort. With the man under control, Harry told Mr. Higgins to stay there while he dragged the man upstairs. Mr. Higgins waited until Harry and the man was out of sight before he moved. He went to the desk and opened a black book. The words scrawled in black ink covering every inch of every page made the grocer’s stomach churn. How many omegas had come and gone through this room? How many had been torn away from mates who loved them? How many had entered, but never come out? Mr. Higgins slammed the book closed, anger, sadness, despair drowning him. Why had this been allowed to go on so long with no proper investigation? He tried to turn his thoughts away from the whys and the what-ifs by searching through the desk. He pulled open a few of the top drawers and found nothing but blank books and extra pens. The bottom two drawers jingled when he opened them. Inside were bags of silver pieces and stacks of paper money. Each bag and stack had a hastily scribbled label with names and numbers detailing how much money each person got. From his last visit here, Mr. Higgins recognized Zayn’s handler’s name Beta Starr. That man better hope he didn’t find him; he’d wring his neck.

“Find anything interesting?” Harry asked returning from depositing the beta in the car with Leonardo.

“If you think bags of coins and books of sales are interesting more than sickening, then yes, I’ve found a lot of interesting things.”

Harry picked up the book that sat on the desk in front of Mr. Higgins. His stomach dropped to his feet. It was a ledger. The date was penned into the column on the far left of the page. This book was a few years old. In the column next to the date was the buyer’s name, and next to that was a column with the omega’s name. Harry saw red when he realized some of the omega’s names were X’s or just a number. In the column after the omega names was a column of prices. They were criminally low. In the final column on the right, groups of names and percentages were crammed into the box.

_“...There will be ledgers somewhere. Leonardo might have changed where they’re kept. His father kept them in his study. There will be five columns on each page: date, buyer’s name, omega’s name, sale price, and then a column with names and percentages. Those names in the final column are the people who were involved in the kidnapping, care, and sale of the omega. The percentages are how much of the money brought in by the omega each person gets. An asterisk by their name means that the next omega that goes into heat is theirs…”_

Harry shuddered as he recalled part of his conversation with Prisoner 58901. He ran a finger down the lines, taking into account every transaction, bearing witness to the many people who had passed through these dark doors. The law enforcer realized something as he read over the lines and lines of sales. “Paul, look at this.” Harry held the ledger out and pointed at what Harry was pointing at.

_November 24 Alpha Grimshaw 23 omegas (15 m 8 f) ß200,000_

“What does that mean?” Mr. Higgins asked, looking up at Harry.

“I think this is much bigger than we thought. I think our dear friend Leo is part of a ring. I think these people trade and buy omegas with and from each other. Fuck.” Harry snapped the book closed.

Mr. Higgins dropped into the desk chair with a quiet, “Well shit.”

Harry took a deep breath to stop the onslaught of questions tumbling through his mind. “We can’t think about that right now. We’ve got to focus on Leonardo right now. I’ll deal with the ring after. Where do those doors go?”

“That one goes to another staircase that leads back to the house. It’s so long. I want to pick Zayn up, but I...that’s not important. I don’t know for sure, but I’d be willing to bet that the other door goes to where the omegas are kept.”

Harry glared at the door that possibly led to where the omegas were kept. The rumors had so far been proven true, but he prayed that the rumors regarding the conditions of the holding area were grossly exaggerated. (There was a good chance his prayer wouldn’t be answered, but a man could hope.) Without a word, Harry stepped up to the door, grasped the silver handle, and turned it.

The two alphas were immediately assaulted with the damp musky smell that came with a dark basement whose door was forever closed. The next smell that reached them was the strong odor of unclean bodies and human excrement. Harry and Mr. Higgins pressed the back of their hands to their noses to try and block the smells, but it didn’t help. Harry began down the hallway in the flickering lights. In each cell there was an omega who looked at the two alphas with barely any light in their eyes. The sight made Harry’s heart break. Where were the giggles and the sunny smiles and the big, bright eyes that held all the wonder in the world? Mr. Higgins grabbed Harry’s arm to get the law enforcer’s attention. He directed Harry’s attention to a cell where a girl with dark hair and pale skin was standing. She motioned Harry closer, and spoke softly, “Around the corner is a man with a ponytail. He’s a nasty character. He’s got the keys on his belt. There’s a young little girl at the end of this hall. Get her out first please.”

“Alright,” Harry said just as quietly. “What’s your name?”

“Ray.”

“I think I met your mate.”

“Johnny? You met him? You talked to him? How is he?”

Ray had a hand wrapped around a bar in her cell door that Harry reached out to touch. “He’s just fine. I’m going to get him back to you, sweetie.”

“I can’t even think about that right now,” Ray whispered. “Just get us out of here, please.”

Harry nodded, now with a direction to his plunge into this dungeon. Mr. Higgins was right behind him when he turned the corner. Down the hall he saw a man leaning leisurely against a cell with a greasy blonde ponytail hanging down his back. He was speaking, but the two alphas couldn’t hear him.

“Step away from the cell,” Harry ordered anger burning his words.

The man turned his way with a lazy, unimpressed look. “Who are you?” he asked.

“I’m Harry Styles and you’re under arrest.”

“I am? Well that’s an interesting turn of events. I was just telling this little girl here all my plans for her heat. It’s coming up soon. Can’t you smell it?”

“I can’t smell much past the shit coming from you,” Harry said. “So you can come quietly, or I can take great pleasure in taking you down.”

“Could I do that?” Mr. Higgins asked. “That’s the man who was in charge of Zayn.”

The man with the greasy ponytail looked at Mr. Higgins more closely. “I thought I remembered you. Weren’t you supposed to leave town?”

“I lied,” Mr. Higgins repeated.

“I’ll hold him, and you punch,” Harry suggested.

“Sounds good to me,” Mr. Higgins said.

They turned their attention to Greasy Ponytail. The man’s fist twitched by his side, and then he darted down the hall away from them. Harry and Mr. Higgins sprinted after him. With a solid thunk, Harry tackled the man to the ground. He registered the lack of scent on the man, but it could have gotten masked by the pungent stench of the dungeon. They wrestled, the man squirming as Harry tried to get a grip on him. “Be still,” Harry ordered, his Alpha Voice wringing clearly through the air. The man’s fight diminished as the words bounced off the walls. Harry got the upper hand and yanked Greasy Ponytail to his feet. He pulled him around so they were facing Mr. Higgins. The grocer sneered at the conceited smirk on Greasy Ponytail’s face. It was like he didn’t fully comprehend that this was the end.  “Go on, Paul,” Harry encouraged.

Mr. Higgins grinned, pulling his fist back and sending it into Greasy Ponytail’s face with a satisfying smack. The man groaned and sagged in Harry’s arms. Mr. Higgins flexed his fist and watched the guy falter with a grin that was only slightly sadistic. “I’ll just take these off you,” Mr. Higgins said reaching for and taking the keys swinging from the man’s belt.

“I’ll take him out to the car. You get that little girl Ray mentioned and then start unlocking everyone. I’ll be back shortly to help.”

Harry was gone again. Mr. Higgins went back down the hall and found the little girl Ray had mentioned. She was huddled in the corner with her knees tucked up to her chest. Mr. Higgins fiddled with the keys until he found the one that opened her door. She looked up when her door squeaked open. Her little body started trembling as he crouched down in her cell. “Hey there,” he said softly. “I’m Paul. What’s your name?”

“It’s okay, baby!” Ray called from down the hall. “He’s one of the good ones!”

“I’m Ava,” the little girl replied.

“It’s nice to meet you. Do you want to get out of here?”

Ava nodded and extended her leg. The cuff around her ankle was loose. Mr. Higgins was sure she could just pull her foot out, but he wasn’t going to try that. He had to fight with the keys once again, but finally found the one that unlocked her cuff. She flexed her ankle when the metal fell away before she looked up at him with hopeful eyes. Up on shaky legs, she took the hand Mr. Higgins offered her so he could walk her out of the cell. The grocer went to Ray’s cell next. Ava held onto his pants while he worked on unlocking her cell door. Ray took the keys from Mr. Higgins and found the proper key much faster than he could. “The keys are simple. The silver ones open the doors and the gold ones are for the cuffs. I can’t be much more help than that. I’m sorry.” Ray was wringing her hands by the end of her instructions.

“That’s more than I had to start with. Take Ava upstairs.”

Ray scooped up the little girl, squeezing her tight and kissing her cheeks. She placed a hand on Mr. Higgins’ shoulder and fixed him with a gaze full of many things. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “I feel like there’s so much more to say, but I can’t find the words.”

Mr. Higgins took the hand from his shoulder and squeezed it. “I only wish we’d gotten here sooner.”

Ray smiled and pressed a kiss to Mr. Higgins’ cheek. “You came. That’s all that matters.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't the end of this part of the story. We've still got to find out what the rest of the house has in store for us.


	23. Liam, It's Your Turn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello, hello!
> 
> I'm so happy to get this up. It's one of my favorites, though it's a bit dark. It lightens up! I promise! We're getting so close to the end, which I hate to say, but everything is falling into place. Thank you so very much for sticking with me through all of this! So much love for all of you! You'll never know how many smiles you have brought to my face. :)

Niall stood in the front door of Leonardo DiCaprio’s mansion watching Ms. Harmon go to her left with two other detectives leaving Niall with three detectives, two of whom were alphas. Niall wasn’t a detective. He wasn’t really a violence or a lawfully invading person. He was just a doctor who fixed a few broken bones and bandaged a few cuts and scrapes. He was happy to have the alphas with him. They would be nice back up for whatever they found upstairs. “Let’s go,” Niall said leading the way up the grand staircase off to their right. It was carpeted up the center, so their footsteps were muted. The stairs led to a large hallway lined with old paintings and portraits. Niall paused, looking down the hall and at the two doors close to him. He turned to the two detectives behind him. “I don’t really know how this usually works. Do we split up, or do we work this like a system?”

“Normally, we’d split up,” the taller of the two detectives said, “but today…” He looked at the other detective “...is different. I’d rather we all stay together. We don’t know what is going to be behind these doors.”

The other detective nodded and Niall visibly relaxed. “I was hoping you’d say that,” the doctor said. “Shall we start here?” Niall asked moving towards the door on his left. He reached for the handle, but stopped when one of the detectives he was with made a noise in the back of his throat. “Yes?”

“I mean no disrespect, Dr. Horan, but I’d like to go in first. I’ve the most experience among the three of us, and you’ve never done anything like this before.”

Niall nodded. “That sounds good.” He stepped back from the door so that the alpha detective could take the lead. Niall wasn’t going to lie; this whole thing made him incredibly nervous. Anything could be behind these doors, and they could get dangerous. He wasn’t built for this type of work. Butterflies swarmed Niall’s stomach as the detective slowly opened the door. His eyes darted back and forth, his initial sweep turned up nothing. He nodded at the others to follow him in. They all went in and found themselves in an opulent room with powder blue walls and a bed that looked like it could fit five full grown alphas comfortably. The gold detail on almost every piece of furniture glimmered in the sunlight filtering through the sheer drapes covering the windows. Niall’s mouth dropped open. “This is a bedroom?” He spun slowly in a circle taking in the entire room. The detectives seemed just as awed as he did, but they recovered faster and began looking around.

“It’s all empty. This room doesn’t look like its ever been used.”

“It’s at least not lived in. There’s no dust anywhere. It obviously gets cleaned.”

Niall looked at the detective who’d just spoken. “You think it’s used, but not lived in?”

“The sheets are fresh. You can still smell the detergent on them.”

“What does that--?” Niall’s question was cut off when a cry came from down the hall. The two detectives led the way down the hall. Pushed open doors causing them to bang against the walls. The rooms they opened were empty, all as grand and ostentatious as the first. Another shout came from behind a door, but it was more a scream than anything else.

“It sounds like it’s the last one on the right,” one detective said.

“Let’s go,” the other said.

Niall followed after him. They paused outside the last door, glanced at each other to be sure they were as ready as they could be, and then the lead detective pushed open the door. This room was like the others, disgustingly luxurious, but it wasn’t empty. There were two people in the bed. The room smelled overwhelmingly sweet, like an omega in heat. Another cry came from the bed followed by a harsh slap and a whimper. The alphas on either side of Niall growled. Niall let a low growl out himself as anger welled up inside him. The lead detective went for the bed, yanking the larger person out of the bed. The two wrestled, knocking into the table beside the bed and upsetting it. The lamp on top shattered as it fell with the table. The other detective went to help his partner while Niall turned his attention to what he could do.

In the middle of the bed was an omega. Her hair was red and her skin was pale and sweaty. She was disoriented, but crying, mumbling something over and over that Niall was too far to hear from where he was standing at the foot of the bed. He moved onto the bed, sitting next to her on the bed. He went to press a hand to her forehead, but she cried out again begging, “No, no, no! Please stop! Please stop!” Niall stopped his movement. Tears tracked down her cheeks as her body shook.

The detectives finally had the other man in the room under control. They yanked him to his feet with his arms pinned behind him. “You can’t do this! I earned her! She’s mine!” the man shouted. “You can’t do this!” The omega began crying harder as the man shouted.

“Get him out of here,” Niall ordered.

The detectives dragged the man out of the room as he continued to shout, “I earned her! She’s mine!”

Niall watched them leave, waiting for the three men to disappear before turning to the hysterical omega in the bed. He reached for her again gaining the same reaction, but he didn’t pull back. She needed to be comforted and he was going to do it. He brushed her hair away from her sweaty face and started speaking softly to her. “You’re okay, sweetheart. My name is Niall. I’m not going to hurt you.” The girl’s head rolled on the pillow so that her unfocused eyes were at least facing Niall. “That man is gone. You’re alright. I’m going to help you.” Her eyes closed and she groaned. Her skin felt like it was on fire; Niall couldn’t imagine how she must feel at this moment. He had some medicine in the bag he brought that might help her, but at this point he was afraid that he was going to have to sedate her. “I’ve got some medicine that will help you…” Niall’s voice trailed off as his eyes trailed from the omega’s face to her neck. There was a white scar on her neck, a mark. This girl had a mate. “He wasn’t your mate, was he?”

Green dazed eyes stared up at Niall. “No,” she whispered. “I want her. I want my mate. I don’t know where she--” Her words were cut off by a groan. “I’m so hot. It hurts. So hot.” Her eyes closed.

Niall closed his own eyes and took a deep breath to steady himself. There was a natural, primitive part of him that wanted to help her by taking her himself, but he knew better than that. This girl needed medicine and her mate. Niall had no way to find her mate right now. She was too far into her heat to be competent and able to tell Niall anything about her mate. “Do you want to stay here or do you want to go downstairs?”

“I’m so hot,” she murmured. “So hot.”

“Are you alright?”

Niall looked up at the detective that had returned. The man was standing in the doorway. Niall could see the conflict in the man’s eyes. “I’m fine. She’s in pain. My bag is in the back of the car I came in. Will you bring it to me?”

The detective nodded, disappearing and returning with Niall’s black bag. “Can you…?” The man trailed off and looked at the bag. “I’ve got a girl back in town. We’re not mates or anything, but I don’t...I love my girl, but it’s against everything primitive in my body to leave this girl here.”

Niall understood, getting off the bed and retrieving his own bag. “Thank you. Can you and your partner finish looking through these rooms. I’ve got everything covered here.” The detective nodded and left. Niall turned back to the bed where the girl had started crying again. “Can you tell me your name, sweetheart?”

“I’m hot,” was all she said.

“I know you are, sweetie,” Niall said, reaching out to rub a thumb over her cheek. “I can help you, but I need you to tell me your name.”

“No! No!” She tried to scramble away, but she was uncoordinated, her mind muddled and heat addled.

“I’m not going to hurt you.” Niall reached for her. She cried out again. “I need you to tell me your name.” His voice was firm. The girl stilled and looked at him. “What is your name?” he asked again in the same firm voice.

“Ellen,” she replied, her voice small.

Niall let go of her to dig through his bag. He pulled out a vial of clear liquid and a syringe. He uncapped the needle and drew a small amount of the liquid into it. Ellen watched him with hazy eyes. “You might feel a little pinch, but this should help you.” He injected the medicine into her arm. Her eyes drooped closed and her breathing evened out. Niall sat back running a hand over his face.

Down the hall, the detectives came to the last door. It was a set of mahogany double doors with silver handles. They pushed open the doors and found the most extravagant room yet. A massive four poster bed sat against the wall facing them with purple curtains hanging around it. The carpet beneath their feet was plush and white. A fireplace sat on the wall to the left of the bed. It was dormant now, but there were fresh ashes below the grate. Two chairs sat facing the fireplace with a small table between them. Three tall windows looked out on the front yard, the drapes pushed aside to let the most natural light in.

“Who are you?”

The detectives looked to where the voice had come from. There was a door in the far back of the room on the same side as the fireplace. In the doorway stood a young woman with dark hair and dark eyes. She stepped forward and a jangling sound drew the detectives’ eyes to her feet. They were in shackles.

“We’re detectives. We’ve arrested Alpha DiCaprio and are sweeping the house for further evidence. Who are you?”

“I’m…” The girl reached up to where a mating mark should be. “I’m his girl.”

“You’re his mate?”

“No, but I…” She shuffled her feet as much as she could.

“Would you like to leave?”

She nodded tears in her eyes.

“Does he keep the key in here?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know where he keeps it though.”

“Doesn’t matter. I can pick the lock.” The lead detective bent by the girl and worked on the cuffs. It took him a few moments to get it, but then the cuffs were falling off her ankles. The girl gingerly lifted her each of her feet, twisting and bending the joints like she’d been unable to before. “Thank you,” she whispered before running off.

“Should we be worried about her?” his partner asked.

“No. I’m not going to be worried about a girl who was chained to the bed,” he said pulling on the silver links to see where she’d been connected. “Let’s get out of here.”

They left the bedroom the same time Niall left Ellen’s room. The three of them regrouped at the top of the stairs. “Did you find anything interesting?” the doctor asked.

“Another girl. She was chained to what we’re assuming was Leonardo’s room. She’s disappeared now, but she didn’t seem to be in any sort of physical pain or anything like that. The rest of the rooms were empty.”

Niall nodded as the detective finished his report. “Let’s go see what the others have found.” Niall nodded to himself, silently dreading what the others might have found, and led the way back downstairs. There was a storm of chatter coming from one of the front parlors that drew the three men to it. Inside, the staff was gathered talking loudly to each other and to Ms. Harmon and the detectives she’d searched the first floor with. Ms. Harmon was soothing a woman who looked rather flushed and crazed. The detective finished whatever she was saying to the woman, politely excused herself, and came up to Niall. “What did you find upstairs?” she asked.

“Empty rooms and two omegas, one of whom is in heat. I sedated her, but she’s going to be needing more care than I can give her.”

“Was her name, by chance, Ellen?” Ms. Harmon asked.

Niall’s brow furrowed. “Yeah, why?”

Ms. Harmon called the woman over to them. “Tell her where Ellen is.”

The woman’s eyes got round and hopeful. “Where’s my girl?”

“Upstairs. The last door on the right. She’s sedated right now, but she’ll wake up.”

She shrieked happily and wrapped Niall in a tight hug whispering “Thank you” over and over again. Niall patted her back and pulled away from the hug. She smacked a grateful kiss on his cheek before hurrying upstairs. Ms. Harmon watched her go with a smile, and then turned back to the bemused doctor with a saddened look. “Harry would like your help downstairs. He and Mr. Higgins are working downstairs. I’ll take you down, and then be up here. Do you have everything you need in that bag?” Niall nodded, his face now equally as grim. “Let’s go.” Niall followed the head of Primary Crime down the front hall and the tunnel to the black door with the silver handle. “Go down the stairs and through the only door in the room. I...I can’t…” Ms. Harmon trailed off, her eyes glued to the door.

Niall reached out and placed a comforting hand on Ms. Harmon’s shoulder. “It’s okay. It sounds easy enough. Thank you.”

Ms. Harmon nodded and turned, hugging herself as she walked back to the front parlor. Niall took a deep breath to steady himself before opening the door and entering the large circular room on the other side. His feet echoed as he moved quickly to the door Ms. Harmon had indicated. He passed quickly through the office, uninterested in the room when he could smell the horror waiting for him. He felt an urgent need to get everyone out of whatever hell was on the other side of the office. He stopped when he crossed the threshold. The smell hit him hard, like someone punching his gut. Next came the sight of dim electric lights revealing rusted cell doors and dirty stone walls and floors. Niall stumbled to his side, losing what he’d had for breakfast and lunch on the floor.

“Are you alright?” Harry asked coming from behind the hunched over doctor.

Niall wiped his mouth before leaning back into Harry in order to find a little bit of comfort. “I’m fine. What do you need me to do?”

Harry obviously didn’t believe his friend, but he made no comment. “There are thirty-five omegas. Mr. Higgins and I have gotten them all out of their chains, but we haven’t moved any of them. I don’t know what their injuries are, and I don’t want to aggravate anything by moving them. They’re quiet; many of them refuse to talk to me, but I think they all know that I’m not going to hurt them. I’ll introduce you.” Niall nodded, following Harry into the first cell with a person inside. The omega inside was cast in shadow, so Niall didn’t get an initial look at the person before Harry crouched down to talk quietly, “Hey, Evan. My friend Niall is a doctor and wants to check on you. Is that okay?” Niall could neither see nor hear a response, but Harry stood and turned to him. “He says it’s okay. I’ll be just down the hall.”

Niall knelt by Evan, and sucked in a breath. The boy was completely naked, propped against the wall and looking at Niall with absolutely nothing in his eyes. They seemed to not even really register that Niall was even there. He was dirty and bruised, but that’s not what had Niall choking back more vomit and tears. It wasn’t obvious just yet, but it would be soon. Niall gave the boy a warm smile as he reached out to press a hand against his slightly swollen belly. Evan’s eyes slipped shut as a single tear tracked through the dirt and grime on his cheek. “Do you know how far along you are?”

Evan shook his head mutely with his eyes still closed.

“That’s alright. For now, I’ll just do a quick exam so that we can decide if we can move you. I’ll do a more thorough check when we’re in a better place.”

“What month is it?” Evan asked in a scratchy voice.

“It’s December.”

“Then I’m four months,” Evan said while running his hand over the taut skin of his belly.

“Do you have a mate somewhere?” Niall asked kindly. More tears welled up in Evan’s eyes as he shook his head no. Niall rubbed the boy’s leg in an effort to sooth him as he checked him over. “That’s alright. You’re alright.”

 

* * *

 

Niall closed the last bedroom door, sagging against it as a tired sigh passed his lips. He was exhausted. Every muscle in his body protested further movement. He slid down the door he was leaning against and tucked his head in the arm he laid over his knees. A few tears slipped out of his eyes, but he tried to keep them to a minimum. Every upstairs room was now filled with at least two omegas, a few rooms comfortably fitting three. Some of their ankles were bad and some of their cuts were infected, but nothing was life-threatening. Evan wasn’t the only one who was pregnant. Some of them had mates in the house, others had mates that seemed to be worlds away. Many of them had warmed up to Harry, Mr. Higgins, and Niall talking softly with them and each other. Others were fearfully silent, too scared that this was all a dream and they’d wake up chained underground once more. Footsteps approached and Niall quickly scrubbed at his eyes. It was Harry who flopped down next to him, equally exhausted, but able to give Niall a smile. “Did you get them settled?”

“Yes. They were actually quite chatty,” Niall said with a small smile of his own. “I’m so tired.”

“Me too. It’s been an incredibly long day.” Niall agreed, but said nothing. The two sat in silence until Ms. Harmon appeared at the top of the stairs.

“Tea is ready,” was all she said before disappearing again. Harry and Niall got to their feet and went downstairs to the now empty parlor. Leonardo’s housekeeper, the woman who had first answered the door that morning. It felt like ages ago that they’d walked up those front steps to execute Judge Cowell’s warrant. Niall gladly took the tea she offered him and sat on one of the plush couches. Everything about Leonardo’s house was over-the-top; it made Niall sick to think that the DiCaprio shipping business (a legitimate company) was most likely not the source of the obvious wealth. He put his tea cup back on its little saucer and put that on the table. He looked at the others sitting in the parlor. It was just the four of them--Niall, Mr. Higgins, Harry, and Ms. Harmon. The other detectives had taken Leonardo and the other three men to the city prison.

“So what’s the plan for tonight?” Mr. Higgins asked the group at large.

“I would like if you and Niall would stay here tonight. We need capable people to look after our friends upstairs. I need to go to Liam’s. I’ll tell them about today. I’ll leave your plans up to you,” Harry said quietly to Ms. Harmon.

She just nodded, shockingly quiet ever since she’d first gone downstairs. Ms. Harmon wasn’t a woman of many words, but she often had more to say than this, and she certainly didn’t carry around such a dark cloud. “I think I’ll stay here as well. Two alphas are better than one.”

“Are you sure?” Harry asked.

“Yes. I’m sure.” Ms. Harmon’s voice was curt, her words sharp. No one made further comments about her staying.

“Alright,” Harry said. “Does that sound good to everyone?” he asked.

A commotion coming towards them stopped the others from answering verbally. Two little bodies came barrelling into the room. The first body went straight to Mr. Higgins. The grocer caught the little body and stood, effectively pulling the little person out of the other’s reach. The second body stopped running and doubled over trying to regain her breath. “That’s no fair, Ollie,” she whined when she looked up with a pout. It was Ava, the first girl Mr. Higgins had freed.

Olive had his face tucked into Mr. Higgins’ neck and his hand curled in the grocer’s shirt. “What is she talking about, Oliver?” Mr. Higgins asked.

“She wants to kiss me,” Oliver said. “She wants to kiss me on the mouth.”

The other adults tried to stifle their laughter, but their smiles betrayed them. Mr. Higgins succeeded in keeping his laughter inside, though his supposedly serious face cracked with an upward twitch of his lips. He returned to his seat on the couch next to Niall with Oliver still in his arms. He took Ava’s hand as he asked, “Now Ava, why do you want to kiss Oliver on the mouth?”

“Because he’s my friend and I love him,” the little girl said.

Mr. Higgins nodded solemnly as if this was a perfectly logical reason to kiss a boy on the mouth. “Oliver, why don’t you want Ava to kiss you on the mouth?”

Oliver wrinkled his nose. “Because that’s gross.”

Ava looked hurt at the boy’s words. Mr. Higgins thought quickly to keep this from going any further. “I’ll tell you what I think,” he began. “I think that showing your friend that you love them isn’t a bad thing, but kissing them on the mouth isn’t the best way to show it. Would you be okay with her kissing your cheek, Oliver?” Oliver thought about it for a moment and nodded. Ava smiled brilliantly, scrambling onto Mr. Higgins’ lap to give Oliver a kiss on the cheek.

“I love you, Ollie,” Ava said as she pulled back after her kiss.

Mr. Higgins caught Oliver’s hand in his as he noticed the boy reach up to wipe off the girl’s kiss.

“There you two are,” Ray declared as she came into the parlor. “I’m sorry everyone. They got away from me as I was getting them ready for bed.”

“Don’t worry, Ray,” Harry said. (She’d given him a good talking to about what to call her once they’d gotten everyone upstairs.) “They’ve been a nice little distraction.”

“C’mon Ava. C’mon Ollie. It’s time for bed,” Ray called.

Ava scampered to Ray. Oliver was a bit slower to move. He was sitting up, his hand still in Mr. Higgins’, but his face no longer hidden. He bit his lip, looking at Mr. Higgins and then back at Ray. “Can I stay with Mr. Paul?”

Ray looked to the grocer for an answer. Mr. Higgins nodded his assent. “Alright, Ollie. I’ll see you in the morning. Goodnight.” Ray and Ava disappeared while Oliver snuggled back into Mr. Higgins’ chest.

Mr. Higgins let go of Oliver’s hand and murmured, “You can wipe it off now.” Oliver happily scrubbed Ava’s kiss off his cheek to the amusement of the others.

“So is everyone happy with the plan?” Harry asked, returning to the subject they’d been on before the kids came in. The others nodded. “Alright. I’ll be off then. I’ve got a meeting with Judge Cowell tomorrow. I’ll come here afterwards and we’ll talk about what we’re going to do with everyone.”

The others nodded and then Harry was out the front door. It was dark outside, but the stars were out, twinkling brightly in the black velvet sky. It made Harry feel a little better. The sun may have been shining today, but Harry had missed it spending the whole day inside Leonardo’s mansion. It had been an emotionally draining day, but as his car rolled away and got closer to Liam’s his spirits started to rise out of Leonardo’s dungeon. He had succeeded in a great many things today. Leonardo and his men were arrested and in prison. The omegas had been rescued, and some had been reunited with their mates. He was getting closer and closer to his mate. Seeing Louis, and holding him in his arms would be so sweet; a perfect way to clean off the grime of the dungeon. He pulled to a stop outside of Liam’s house and practically ran to the door. (The only thing stopping him was the fact that he was a bit of a clutz, and that mixed with his excitement would only end in him face planting on the front steps.) He rang the bell and waited anxiously for Annie to open it. The housekeeper did not disappoint, answering the door with an inquisitive look.

“Are Liam and Zayn awake?” he asked.

Annie rolled her eyes with a fond smile. “You think Louis would let them sleep when he certainly isn’t? They’re in the game room. Zayn is keeping score while Liam lets Louis win at bowling.”

“Good. Maybe if Louis ends up winning he’ll stop going on and on about how one day he will win. It keeps him up at night.”

Annie laughed as she walked next to Harry. Outside the door she stopped Harry. “Was it truly awful?”

“Yes,” Harry said with a tired shrug, “but--” Harry was cut off as a body slammed into his. “There you are, pumpkin.”

“I missed you,” Louis sighed happily. “You’re not leaving me for that long again.”

Harry ran a hand through Louis’ hair. “No, Lou, I’m not leaving you for that long again.”

“Oh good,” Louis said, getting off of Harry. “Now come inside and watch me finish creaming Liam. I’m actually winning.” Louis tugged Harry into the billiards room where Liam was standing with a bowling ball in his hand and Zayn was stretched out on the couch with his bad ankle propped up on a stack of pillows. He turned to Harry with a hesitant smile and a shy wave. Liam had a smile of his own and Harry mouthed _Thank you_ to him over Louis’ head. Liam gave him a small nod. “Now where were we?” Louis asked. “Oh, yes. Liam, it’s your turn.”


	24. A Lot Scarier

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> (January 22, 2015) I made an edit to Chapter 22. I added a flashback where Harry is talking to that prisoner from so long ago about the ledgers. It explains what the last column means in a bit more detail than I have in the last few chapters. I'll summarize it here so that you don't have to go find it, but if you want to read it to read all the words of this story then go for it. It's added to the part where Mr. Higgins and Harry are down in the auction room before they go in to free the omegas.
> 
> Basically that final column in the ledger contains the names of all people involved in the acquiring and selling of the omega. There are percentages next to their name that detail their share of the money brought in by the omega. If a person's name has an asterisk by it, they get to have the next omega that goes into heat. (It's nasty and I hate it as much as you do.)
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter! You're all wonderful people in my book!

This was possibly his favorite time of day. It was early morning, the sky just starting to blush as the sun peeked over the mountain tops. The streets were empty save for a few early risers. He could take his time looking up at the occasional bird as it flew past or looking in shop windows without constant interruptions from passersby or harried enforcers. It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy his work or the people he encountered through it, but it was nice when he had some times to himself so he could think. (People might be shocked, but he actually let a smile slip out if something he saw truly caught his fancy.) The morning did something to the usually bustling city that no other time could. He was tempted to call it magical, but somehow that failed to describe the feel of a city morning properly. The only bad thing about today’s morning was how heavy his briefcase felt today. Inside the black case was the folder of detective reports from the raid yesterday. It was his duty to read it to make a fully informed decision regarding DiCaprio, but he wished he didn’t have to sully the morning with such nasty things. He had enough without these reports to convict DiCaprio; these final reports would satisfy his need to be thorough. He took the side stairs to his office to avoid the changing shifts of enforcers. The sooner he got to his office, the sooner he could read the reports, and the sooner he could be done with this case. With a heavy sigh, Judge Cowell sank into his leather chair with his briefcase thudding against his desktop. He pulled out the brown folder thick with reports, placed his reading glasses on the bridge of his nose, and began to read.

 **Harry Styles, Secondary Law Enforcer:** _“...in total four arrests were made: Alpha Leonardo DiCaprio, Beta George Harrison, Beta Ringo Starr, and Beta Billy Hamilton. The three betas resisted arrest, but Alpha DiCaprio was easily arrested… Alpha Paul Higgins and I went to the underground room where the auctions were held and the omegas were imprisoned. Beta Harrison was arrested in a room between the auction room and the omega cells. In the desk he was clearing out we discovered ledgers detailing the sales of the last fifty years. There is evidence the DiCaprio house is part of a chain of omega-traffickers. Beta Starr was arrested while he was harassing an omega being held captive. He had the keys to the cells. We arrested him, confiscated the keys, and began releasing the omegas…”_

 **Angela Harmon, Primary Law Enforcer:** _“...fear seems to be the main tactic used to keep the staff quiet about what went on. Threats against omega family members were used to keep staff members in line. Several of the staff members told stories of family members disappearing or mates being separated. According to staff members, the upstairs bedrooms were used by DiCaprio and the three betas arrested today as, what the staff calls, Heat Rooms. The four men would bring an omega in heat up to those rooms and go through the heat with the omega without the omega’s consent. Older staff members told me that Leonardo’s father would forgive a staff member’s transgression if the staff member could provide an omega for him to use…”_

 **Niall Horan, Doctor:** _“...Beta Ringo Starr was pulled away from an omega female in heat. She was not his mate. He kept shouting ‘I earned her!’ It is believed that for his work with the omegas being held captive, she was part of his reward or payment. The omega was reunited with her mate, a staff member in the house, shortly after Beta Starr’s arrest...Enforcer Styles wondered why the kidnappers left behind no traceable scent. I examined the four men arrested for signs of Kein Geruch, a scent blocking lotion. Beta Starr and Beta Hamilton had rashes consistent with Kein Geruch use on their arms. I believe they have been using this lotion for an extended period of time which may render them permanently scentless...Omega Zayn Payne claimed that he was forced out of his home under an Alpha Command. Those involved in his kidnapping were betas without scents. I believe Omega Payne interpreted a firm, harsh command from a scentless beta as an Alpha Command because his body was trying to find something to understand what was happening to him as he was being taken...Common injuries among the captured omegas were bruises and cuts consistent with repeated abuse. All were malnourished…”_

Judge Cowell had never been more grateful for a knock on his office door as he finished reading Dr. Horan’s report. “Come in,” he called.

Harry Styles came in alone with dark circles under his eyes but a small smile on his lips. “Good morning, Judge Cowell.”

“Good morning, Mr. Styles. I was just finishing with the reports.”

Harry acknowledged the statement with a nod as he took a seat across from the judge. “Do you have any questions about them? I should be able to answer any you might have.”

Judge Cowell looked at the notes he’d made on a pad of paper as he’d read. “What do you plan on doing about this ‘chain of omega-traffickers’?”

“I haven’t actually thought about that yet,” Harry admitted with a heavy sigh of his own. “Obviously I want to stop them all, but it’s outside anything I could ever do. I’m not even sure if we have the resources to take care of it at my office.”

“I understand that,” Judge Cowell said. “Would you be comfortable allowing my enforcers here to take over the case? I’d keep you and Ms. Harmon informed of developments.”

Harry smiled. “That would be excellent. I’ll tell her, and if she has anything to say about it, she can call you.”

“That would be fine. Is there anything else you’d like to add?”

Harry looked out the window as he thought for a moment. He had no objections to handing over the case. His goal had been to get Zayn back and arrest the people responsible. He’d achieved both of those things. “I don’t have anything to add, but I do have something to ask of you,” he told the judge.

“Anything,” Judge Cowell assured him.

“You see…”

 

* * *

 

Driving up to the DiCaprio mansion today was not as terrifying as it had been the day before. There had been so many unknowns yesterday that had made the whole endeavor more terrifying than it actually had been. Leonardo and his associates had gone down easily enough. The condition of the omegas had been horrific, but he could rest easy knowing that they were being well-looked after now. With its secrets exposed, the mansion failed to impose its usual aura of disdain on those of lesser class daring to walk through its doors. Beneath Harry’s thoughts about the popped bubble that used to surround the mansion, Louis was chattering away, “...We haven’t been out together in forever. We’re really going to have to change that, Harry. I love home and all, but sometimes it is nice to get away. Oh! Let’s go to the beach! I’ve heard such lovely things about the beach. We should bring Liam and Zayn too! Lord knows they could use a vacation. When do you think the best time to go to the beach would be? Would the sand be too hard for Zayn? It might be. Maybe we should just go to the beach by ourselves then...Harry are you listening to me?” Louis demanded as the car rolled to a stop.

Harry turned in his seat to smile guiltily at his mate. “Of course I’m listening, pumpkin. We’re going to the beach.” He hoped he recalled the last few things his mate had said correctly.

Louis scowled at him, pushing open his door with a grumble of, “Stupid alphas.”

Harry chuckled as he got out and joined Louis and their other passenger at the bottom of the front steps.

Louis looked up at the house and commented, “I remember this place being a lot scarier.”

“Me too,” Harry said. “I think it has something to do with the fact that its got nothing to hide from us now.”

Louis just hummed and took Harry’s hand as the three men climbed the stairs. Harry didn’t bother knocking. The door was open and they’d told the staff to relax. They could all take care of themselves. Annie, Niall, and Ray were coming down the stairs after checking on everyone upstairs. Harry had seen Annie on his way to the city earlier that morning with a basket swinging from her arm. He’d asked her what she was doing and she’d told him that she was bringing all the omegas something sweet to eat. Harry didn’t see Mr. Higgins or Oliver anywhere in the immediate vicinity. The little boy hadn’t left Mr. Higgins’ side for very long once all the omegas had been brought upstairs. “Good morning, everyone,” Harry greeted.

Annie and Niall returned Harry’s greeting with quiet, slightly less cheery ones of their own, but Ray had stopped halfway down the stairs, her mouth and eyes wide open. Harry’s smile turned into a pleased grin when he saw her. “Ray, I hope you don’t mind, but I picked up someone on my way over here. He’s been rather anxious to see you.” Harry and Louis stepped aside to reveal the other man who had come with them.

He looked as exhausted as the rest of them did, with dark hair that flopped over his eyes and ears. He had a toothy smile stretched across his mouth, an expression he hadn’t worn in a very long time. “Hello, Ray,” he greeted softly.

Ray practically flew down the stairs and into the man’s arm with a shocked, “John?” passing her lips. The man held her tightly in his arms as they both started crying. They started murmuring things to each other, their words jumbling together and tears rolling down their cheeks. The others watched with fond smiles until Annie ushered them all down to the kitchen to give the reunited mates some privacy.

“That was so beautiful,” Louis said as he walked as close to Harry as he could.

“How did you find him?” Annie asked as she pushed open the kitchen door. “She’d been talking about her mate, but never where he was or anything like that.” Mr. Higgins and Oliver were eating in the kitchen. The others all hummed appreciatively when they caught the smell of fresh bacon floating in the room. Annie was distracted from her question when she saw Oliver sitting on the counter with Mr. Higgins leaning up against the counter next to him with a plate full of bacon between them and no other food in sight. “Please tell me you two are not just going to have bacon for breakfast.”

Oliver giggled as he crunched on another piece of bacon while Mr. Higgins sheepishly answered Liam’s housekeeper. “It’s the only thing I know how to make without burning.”

Annie scoffed and set about making a proper breakfast. “How helpless all you alphas would be without people like me to help you.”

Mr. Higgins smiled at her. “Then it’s a good thing I’ve got a woman like you in my life to help me.”

Annie snorted and turned way to cover up the blush that stained her cheeks. “Harry, you never answered my question,” she said to change topics.

“Oh, yes.” Harry took a seat and pulled Louis onto his lap. “That’s John Lennon. He was the prisoner I talked to at the beginning of this whole thing. Judge Cowell released him. He’d cooperated fully and I believed he earned his freedom. Leonardo’s father used him as a look-out and a body-guard. He’d never been more involved in the trafficking part. He’d told me to check on Ray when I came here. She was being held as prisoner as an incentive for him to never cooperate in any investigation. Another reason for me to keep what we were doing a secret. I had a lot of people to protect.” Harry squeezed Louis in a makeshift hug that Louis returned with a kiss.

They were all quiet, and then Mr. Higgins asked, “What are we going to do with everyone upstairs?”

“Not everyone is ready to be moved. I don’t even know if there’s a local place big enough to house them all,” Niall said.

“They could stay here,” Ms. Harmon said as she came in the door. She’d just come down from her own rounds. She wanted to find out who they were and where they’d come from so that they could get home as soon as possible.

Niall nodded. “It’s big enough and the staff is more than willing to help care for them.”

“I know some of them came from places near by,” Harry said. “When they’re well enough we can move them, and then the ones that have come from far away can be held in your patient rooms.”

Niall nodded. “Those rooms are always empty. That would be just fine.”

Harry smiled as he looked around the room. This was almost over. Things would never be quite as normal as they used to be, but it would be close enough.

 

* * *

 

Niall sat at his desk with folders spread around him and food crumbs getting everywhere. His lunch sat half eaten balanced precariously on the edge of his desk as he worked on filling out papers on the patients he’d seen that morning and the omegas now rooming comfortably in the patient rooms above. Judge Cowell had sent some of his law enforcers to them to help get the omegas who lived near by back to their homes. There were only a few left that had remained. Some still weren’t talking and wouldn’t eat with Niall or any stranger in the room. Some seemed not to have anywhere to go back to. Seeing them upstairs broke Niall’s heart. How could there be no one out there for them?

A knock on his door thankfully pulled Niall from his dark thoughts. His assistant poked his head in and said, “There’s a girl out in the waiting room who wants to talk to you. She doesn’t have an appointment.”

Niall swallowed the bite of sandwich he’d taken. “What’s her name?”

“Emma.”

Niall stood and brushed the crumbs off his shirt. “I’ll see her. Is she out in the waiting room.” His assistant nodded and Niall followed the man out to the room. There stood the little omega girl Niall had been treating. He didn’t see any fresh bruises right away, but that didn’t mean who ever was hurting her hadn’t learned how to better hide them. She looked exceptionally small standing in front of the reception desk wringing her hands. “Hello, Emma,” Niall greeted softly. The girl’s head snapped up and Niall thought he saw a smile twitch on her lips. “Would you like to go to an exam room or my office?”

“Your office.”

Niall offered her a warm smile. “Alright then. Follow me.” She padded after him and only showed a few nerves when he closed the door behind her. “What’s going on?”

“Are you friends with Alpha Styles?” she asked bluntly.

“I am,” Niall said. His curiosity was instantly piqued by her question but he didn’t push for an explanation.

“I...you see...I…” She struggled with her words, uncomfortable with the entire situation. “My alpha left the paper in the room and I read it. I read about how Alpha Styles and Alpha Harmon had arrested Alpha DiCaprio with a warrant from a city judge. My alpha was so mad about that.” Her last words were quiet and almost reflective. Niall gritted his teeth praying her alpha hadn’t taken out his anger on her. “I think he tried to help Alpha DiCaprio get away with it.”

“Why do you think that?” Niall asked gently. His heart was thumping in his chest.

Emma hung her head. “I’m Alpha Pitt’s. I was bringing him lunch to try to make him happy when Alpha Styles and Alpha Harmon had their meeting with him. I overheard him make a call to Alpha DiCaprio telling him all about what Alpha Styles had found out.”

Niall took a deep breath and let it out in a low whistle. “Thank you, Emma. Can I ask why you’re telling me this?”

“Alpha hasn’t come into my room lately. I like not getting hit.” Niall about flipped his desk. How could anyone hit her? “He bought me from Alpha DiCaprio.” Niall was going to kill Alpha Pitt with his bare hands. “I think I’m pregnant. My tummy pokes out.” She pulled the dress she was wearing tight around her slight frame. Her tummy did appear to protrude a bit. “I don’t want him to be near my baby.” She laid a tender hand over the slight swell.

Niall put aside the anger blazing in his chest to grab his bag. “Can I take a look?” Emma nodded. Niall knelt next to her and carefully touched her tummy. He used a few tools from his bag to listen to her tummy and measure her swollen belly. He made a few notes and then looked at her file. He pulled up a chair next to her and took her hand. “I can say with certainty that you’re pregnant. Do you have any idea how far along you might be?”

Tears pooled in her eyes. “No. I...I don’t have any idea. I just noticed this a few days ago.”

“That’s alright,” Niall assured her.

“I don’t know what to do,” she admitted.

Niall used his fingers to gently coax her into looking at him. “First, I want to know if you’d be willing to tell Alpha Styles what you’d heard. There’s an on-going investigation going on, and he could pass the information on to the enforcers working on it. Second, you’re not going to go back to Alpha Pitt. You can stay with me, but if you’re not comfortable with that, you could always stay upstairs in one of our patient rooms. You wouldn’t have to worry about him finding you at either place. I live alone, and my office has strict confidentiality rules.”

“Confidentiality?” Emma asked softly.

“It means no one can tell anyone you’re here without your permission.”

“Oh.” Emma thought for a moment, weighed all her options, and then looked up at Niall with hopeful eyes. “I’d like to stay with you.”


	25. Breaking the Silver Chain

Zayn was in a dilemma. Louis had convinced Harry and Liam to take them on a trip to the beach. Zayn hadn’t  been to the beach in years. After his sister had pushed him off the rocks and into the water he’d tried to avoid the place. Louis had pitched the idea one night at dinner, and his excitement had spread around the room, even getting under Zayn’s skin. Harry had a house by the beach so they wouldn’t have to stay in a motel or a tavern or anything like that. (It was really belonged to his father, but that was beside the point.) They were going to be stuck on a train for a few hours, something Louis wasn’t looking forward to. Zayn liked traveling. He associated it with Liam, so it would probably always be fun. His dilemma was over what to book to bring for the trip. He and Liam had just finished a book before his heat and now they could finally get another one started.

“Zayn, have you made a decision yet?” Liam asked coming up behind his mate in the library. The alpha wrapped an arm around the omega who leaned into the strong chest behind him. He nuzzled his boy’s hair still able to catch the sweet scent of his heat. “You can bring them both. It’s a long trip there.”

“I don’t want to overpack,” Zayn said.

Liam chuckled, a comforting rumble against Zayn’s back. “Bringing a second book doesn’t count as overpacking.”

“Liam,” Zayn whined, “help me decide.”

“This one,” Liam said pointing to the one Zayn had in his left hand.

Zayn frowned and said, “I really wanted the other one, though.”

Liam just smiled and rolled his eyes fondly. He picked Zayn up and spun him around in a circle saying, “Then bring the other one, angel. Thought you couldn’t decide.”

Zayn giggled as he was spun around. “Liam!” he gasped. “Liam, put me down! You’re going to make me dizzy.”

Liam returned his giggling boy to the ground. Zayn twisted so that his face was buried in Liam’s chest. He was scared he might get sick if he didn’t close his eyes to stop the room from spinning. Liam ran his hand through Zayn’s hair as the boy regained his equilibrium. “So this one then?” Liam picked up the green book that Zayn had wanted to bring up from where it’d been dropped on the couch as they spun. Zayn nodded, giving Liam a quick kiss on the cheek. Zayn made to pull away from Liam, but the alpha had other ideas. He tightened his arm around Zayn’s waist and pulled the boy in for a much more intense kiss. Zayn whimpered as his body heated up from the kiss. Being just out of his heat, he was still super sensitive to his mate’s attention.

“Oh! Sorry, boys,” Annie said as she came into the library without announcing herself. “I didn’t mean to--”

Liam tore his lips away from a now slightly dazed Zayn. “Yes, Annie?”

“Mr. Higgins is wanting to have a word with you,” the housekeeper told him.

“Is Oliver with him?” Zayn asked eagerly. Mr. Higgins had unofficially adopted the little boy. According to Leonardo’s staff, Oliver had been taken in a few months prior to the alpha’s arrest. Oliver had told Mr. Higgins (or Mr. Paul as he called him) that his parents had been killed in a car accident. There were enforcers looking into his story, but no one was particularly eager to separate the two of them. Oliver brought a certain life back to the store and to Mr. Higgins, a life that had been missing since Mr. Higgins’ mate had passed away. The two of them could be seen every morning filling the outdoor shelves with fruits and vegetables. Oliver would hold the basket while Mr. Higgins put the items in the basket on the shelves. Mr. Higgins was teaching Oliver where everything in the store went and how to decide what to order from their suppliers. The little boy had been quickly accepted by the group. Zayn and Louis spent the entire time everyone got together spoiling the little boy.

“Of course. Those two are inseparable,” Annie said with a fond smile. “I told them to wait in the parlor.”

Zayn smiled, pulling away from Liam and grabbing the cane he’d gotten to help him walk a little faster. The surgery had mostly fixed his ankle, but it still ached when he spent too much time on it. Liam’s father had made it for him while he was recovering from the procedure. It was made from a dark wood Zayn didn’t recognize with a smooth, rounded top that fit comfortably in his hand. Zayn knew that Liam hated what that cane represented, but Zayn couldn’t help feel a tender sort of affection for it. Leonardo hadn’t won. He hadn’t taken him away from his mate and he could still walk. He’d been so scared that he’d never walk again. Annie stepped aside as Zayn went as quickly as he could out of the library and down the hall to the parlor. Inside, Mr. Higgins was bouncing Oliver on his knees while the little boy’s voice wobbled as he was bounced. Zayn smiled at the scene. Oliver caught sight of Zayn in the doorway. He wiggled his way off of Mr. Higgins’ lap with a happy shriek of, “Zayn!”

Zayn let his cane fall from his hand in favor of scooping Oliver up. The boy snuggled happily into Zayn’s chest tucking his head beneath the omega’s chin. Mr. Higgins stood, looking more nervous than Zayn had ever seen him. “Is everything alright, Paul?”

“Everything is just fine,” Mr. Higgins assured Zayn. Oliver snickered from his spot in Zayn’s arms.

“Hey, Paul,” Liam greeted cheerfully. “What’s up?”

“Could I speak to you privately, Liam?” Mr. Higgins said. “It’s nothing against Zayn, but--”

Zayn interrupted the grocer. “It’s not a problem, Paul. I’ll keep Oliver occupied while you talk. Liam, can you hand me my cane?” Oliver slid down Zayn’s body while Liam bent over to pick up Zayn’s cane. He gave his mate a kiss, before Oliver and Zayn disappeared down the hall.

“I hope everything is really alright,” Liam said.

“It is. I just have something I’d like to ask you. I’ve been...nothing has been particularly great since I lost Joey. Then I got involved in the case and I felt like I had something to do again. A reason to get up. That led me to Oliver. He’s a handful, but he always keeps me busy. I love that kid.” Mr. Higgins paused as he thought of Oliver. “While Oliver soothes the ache in my heart, he can’t make it all go away. Joey told me not to be alone too long after he was gone. Said he’d curse me if I sat around moping all the rest of my days. We talked about what I’d do after he was gone. He told me that if I ever got with some floozy, ditzy girl after him, he’d murder me in my sleep. Now I’m rambling. I came to ask you if I could take Annie out, like on a date of sorts. I--she’s been so...I don’t know. I’ve felt something for her. I just…” Mr. Higgins raked a hand through his hair. He wasn’t good at things like this. He’d never really been good at it. He always looked forward to seeing Annie. He couldn’t help the little smile he got whenever she came to the store.

Liam started laughing, a full laugh that had tears gathering in the corner of his eyes. “I don’t think I’m the person you should be asking. I think Annie could give you a better answer to that question than I could.”

“I just want you to know that I’m not trying to take her away from you.”

Liam wiped at his eyes and pretended to assume a sober demeanor. “You may take my housekeeper out, Mr. Higgins. Have her back by midnight, preferably in one piece; I fancy her breakfast biscuits too much.” He burst into more laughter while Mr. Higgins huffed. “I’m sorry, Paul,” Liam said when he’d regained his breath. “Take Annie out. Zayn and I are going to the beach with Harry and Louis for a couple of weeks. Take her out multiple times. She needs a break from this place. I’ve never seen that woman skip, but every time she leaves for your store I swear I see her get a bit closer to that very act. Go ask her. I’ve got to get Zayn packed. I think it’s his least favorite thing in the world to do.”

Mr. Higgins chuckled as he followed Liam out of the parlor. Annie was just crossing the hall to the library with a plate of cookies in her hands. “Annie, could I talk to you for a moment?” Mr. Higgins asked almost shyly.

“Of course,” Annie said. “Let me just give this plate to Zayn and Oliver.”

“I thought you were making cookies for our trip, Annie,” Liam said.

Annie patted her employer’s shoulder. “Never you fear. I have another plate keeping warm in the oven.”

Liam took a cookie from the plate before taking the plate off her hands. “Go with Mr. Higgins, Annie. I’ll deliver the cookies.”

“Don’t eat too many. Your mother will have my head if she thinks I’m letting you let yourself go now that you’ve settled down,” Annie warned as she went back to the kitchen with Mr. Higgins.

Liam just smiled and waved the two of them away. He kept his smile on as he entered the library. “Cookies anyone?” he offered. Oliver happily accepted taking two for himself. Zayn waited where he sat on the couch for Liam to bring the cookies to him. “Feeling alright, angel?” Liam asked softly as he offered the plate to Zayn.

“I’m fine. My ankle just ached a little bit. What did Mr. Higgins want?” he asked before taking a bite of cookie.

“He’s going to ask Annie out on a date,” Liam whispered.

Zayn’s eyes widened. “Really?” he asked around a mouthful of cookie. Liam nodded with a grin stretching his lips wide. “Oh that’s so wonderful,” Zayn sighed. “I think they’ll be good together.”

“Liam Payne!” All three boys looked up from their various seats at the rather frazzled looking housekeeper. “What am I supposed to say? I have this house to take care of. I have you two to look after. I can’t just…”

“Annie, I won’t take no for an answer,” Liam said. “Do I have to order you to go out with him? I swear I heard you singing as you were doing the dishes the other night.”

“I always sing,” Annie said defensively. Liam just raised his eyebrow at his housekeeper. “Well, maybe not always, but I sing.” Liam hummed as he started to eat his second cookie. “I hum more often than not. It’s just that…”

“Do you want to go out with him?” Zayn asked.

Annie sighed, “Well, yes, but--”

“Then go tell Paul that. Poor guy is just waiting there in the kitchen, isn’t he?”

Annie’s face paled. She made to leave, but turned back to them talking fast, “This doesn’t mean that I’m going to abandon you. I’ll still be here.”

“We’ll talk about it later, Annie. Just go give him an answer,” Liam said.

Zayn giggled when she’d finally gone. “They’re like a couple of teenagers.” Oliver climbed up into Zayn’s lap and reached for a third cookie, but Zayn moved the plate out of his reach. “He’s already had two. No more for you today,” Zayn said to the little boy with the impressive pout. Liam was tempted to sneak the boy a third cookie, but Zayn’s next words had him dismissing all of those thoughts. “You give him another cookie and you can’t touch me the entire trip.”

Liam kept the plate away from Oliver with an apologetic look sent to the boy in Zayn’s lap. He couldn’t help but wonder if their roles would be the same with their own kids. Would he be the push-over or would Zayn pile his puppy-dog eyes on top of their kids’? The doorbell interrupted Liam’s thoughts of the future, but it was definitely something he wanted to find out soon. He opened the door to a beaming Harry and Louis. “Are you ready?” Louis asked

“Almost. I have to finish getting Zayn packed.”

“See!” Louis cried turning to Harry. “Why couldn’t you pack for me?”

Harry raised his eyes to the sky as if asking someone greater than him to give him the patience for an argument Liam had no doubt had been going on throughout the trip preparations. “You just couldn’t say yes, could you Liam?”

“Sorry, mate. Louis knows when I’m lying. Zayn and Oliver are in the library.”

“Oliver’s here?” Louis scampered off to the library leaving the two alphas in the front hall.

“Have you seen the paper today?” Harry asked producing a paper as he spoke.

Liam took the paper, unfolding it to look at the front page. He began reading out loud, “Breaking the Silver Chain…” He looked up at Harry with a questioning eye. Harry nodded at the paper so Liam would keep reading. “...Law Enforcers Harry Styles and Angela Harmon uncovered the existence of an omega-trafficking ring that spanned half-way down the eastern coast…” Liam skimmed the parts about the cases and investigations and meetings with judges, “...After weeks of investigation, law enforcers have put away all sellers and their associates. The omegas have been returned to their homes and families.” Liam reread the article again. “Harry, this is amazing.”

“I know,” Harry said.

“It’ll only take me a few minutes to finish packing,” Liam assured him before going upstairs.

It was more like another hour later when Liam finally finished packing with Zayn’s help. Zayn had gone upstairs with a fond look of annoyance on his face. “I always tell him to just pick something. He never listens.” He and Louis had shared their common gripes about their alphas before the boy had gone upstairs. Harry doubted the entire hour had been spent packing judging by the dazed look and fresh love bite Zayn sported, but he wasn’t going to comment on it all unlike Louis. Zayn had politely asked Louis to mind his own business as Liam pulled him into a warm embrace with a smug smile.

Liam’s drive stood waiting for them while the four of them bid goodbye to Annie, Mr. Higgins, and Oliver. They piled into the car as their thoughts turned from ones of goodbye to ones of warm sand and cool ocean water. The car started, crunching over the gravel drive and bouncing over the road. Louis was going on and on about his plans for them at the beach. Zayn curled into Liam’s side at the mention of going swimming in the ocean. “Are we going to read on the train?” he whispered.

“Of course. We always do.”

“We’ve never traveled with other people before.”

“It’ll do good for Louis to hear something other than his own voice,” Liam teased.

Louis scowled and smacked Liam’s shoulder. “I heard that,” he grumbled.

Harry pulled his now pouting omega into his lap. “Be a good sport, pumpkin.” He peppered Louis’ hair and face with kisses until Louis was giggling and pushing him away.

“They’re impossible, our alphas,” Louis griped with a conspiratory smirk thrown at Zayn.

Zayn giggled and snuggled closer to Liam. “They’re the worst.”

Harry and Liam shared a look of their own as the car rolled to a stop at the train station. He opened their doors and helped them get their bags on the train. “I’ll be here two weeks from today at six o’clock,” he said.

“Thank you,” Liam said shaking his hand. “See you then. Make sure Annie gets out, please.”

“Will do, Liam.”

The four of them boarded the train, settling into their seats with excited smiles and bouncing knees. The whistle blew and the train lurched away from the station. Zayn turned his attention to the window, watching the green landscape whirl by. He turned to Liam with an excited smile tampered down with a bitten lip. The alpha pulled out the green book from the bag he’d boarded with. “Want to start, angel?”

Zayn nodded, crawling into Liam’s lap like the first time they’d traveled together. Liam wrapped his arms around Zayn’s waist to hold him in place as the train rocked along the tracks. Louis curled up in Harry’s lap as Zayn began to read, “Once upon a time…”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear reader,
> 
> It means the world to me that you have stuck with me through this whole process. Without you, there'd be no story. A special thanks goes out to you if you were here at the very, very beginning before the re-write. I hope you have enjoyed this story as much as I have. Thank you, again, for taking the time to read, kudos, and comment. Each and every one of you have brought so many smiles to my face. You are all so special to me.
> 
> Your faithful writer,  
> Remi


	26. Bonus Chapter: Harry and Louis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise!!!  
> Happy Monday everybody! Here's a little something I whipped up for a friend. I hope you all enjoy!
> 
> XOXO

“Ha! That’s my point!” Louis declared waving his badminton racquet in the air. 

“Louis, that is clearly out of bounds. That makes it my point,” Harry said. 

“What are you talking about? The birdie is inside the red lines.”

Harry sighed. “The red lines are for when we play doubles. The black lines are for when we’re playing by ourselves. The birdie is inside the red lines, but outside the black. My point.”

Louis growled (a sound Harry was sure was  _ supposed _ to be menacing) as he got ready to receive the serve. Harry tapped the birdie over the net and the two of them began a volley. It started to get a little heated when Louis tried to score by slamming the birdie with a kill shot. Harry managed to dive and hit the birdie so that it just got over the net. Louis had thought he had gotten the point, so he was unprepared for the return. He scrambled to get his racquet under the birdie, but he missed and it landed on the floor with a barely audible thunk. Louis just stared at it as Harry righted himself and smoothed down his shirt. Louis spluttered as he tried to come up with something insulting to say to his alpha. Harry was one of the most uncoordinated people Louis knew. How had he managed to hit that birdie? 

“Would you like to serve?” Harry asked when it became obvious Louis wasn’t going to be able to form any words.

Louis snatched the birdie off the floor and got ready to serve. Harry turned his back and took a step. A wicked idea flashed in Louis’ mind. He whacked the birdie sending it over the net and into the back of Harry’s head. The alpha stopped walking, turning slowly to face the omega on the other side. Louis was trying to look innocent, but Harry saw the proud guilt beneath the surface. “Did you just hit me?” Harry asked even though he knew the answer.

“Me? No.”

“Then who hit me in the back of the head with the birdie?”

Louis fought the smile that wanted to bloom on his lips. “I don’t know.”

“Lou,” Harry sighed, his voice holding a warning for the boy.

“Harry,” Louis mocked. A current of electricity surged between them. Louis bit his lip as he held Harry’s gaze across the court. They seemed poised at the edge of something vague but exciting. With a shriek, Louis broke the charged silence and pushed them over the edge. He dropped his racquet, the clattering echoing off the walls. Louis scampered up the stairs and down the front hall towards the stairs. He heard Harry’s heavier footsteps following him. He was hoping that Harry’s innate clumsiness would trip him up. Louis’s hopes were answered moments later when there was a loud thud followed by a string of curses. A giggle burst from his lips as he ran up the stairs towards their bedroom. He closed the door behind him, but knew it wouldn’t keep Harry out for long. He looked desperately for a place to hide, but Harry was close behind after he’d recovered from falling. The alpha was at the top of the stairs, so Louis dove to the only hiding spot he could find in such a short amount of time.

Harry knew Louis had sought refuge in their bedroom. He’d seen his mate flit into the room moments before the door slammed closed and the alpha reached the top of the stairs. He figured Louis would look for a hiding spot and he gave his mate a few seconds to find one before he silently pushed open the door. He saw nothing out of place, nothing that would give Louis’ hiding spot away. His steps were muted by the thick carpet as he walked the perimeter of the room trying to see if Louis was hiding behind something. Harry didn’t find him like that, so he started checking their closets and their bathroom. Again, he came up empty. Harry stood in the bathroom doorway and surveyed his bedroom. There was only one place left for his mate to hide. With a smug smile, Harry crossed the room to the bed, climbing on and leaning against the headboard. 

Louis’ lips stretched into a wide smile when he heard Harry come into the bedroom. He fought to keep his laughter to himself as his mate searched the entire room. He knew he’d be discovered eventually. He even knew that Harry probably already knew exactly where he was hiding. Then Harry sank onto the bed above him and Louis had to put a hand over his mouth to keep quiet. His heart pounded in his chest. 

Harry shift slowly until his feet hung over the edge of the bed. He rose slowly, getting down on all fours facing the bed. He reached under the bed, his hand closing around a familiar ankle and pulling. Louis squawked as Harry began to pull him from under the bed. His arms flailed and his hands sought something to hold onto. When Harry had fully pulled Louis from under the bed, he let his body drop down to the carpet, pinning Louis in place. He tried to kiss his mate, but Louis swatted at his face and pushed him away. Harry captured one of Louis’ wrists and kissed his palm. “What in the world were you doing under our bed, pumpkin?” Harry asked. Louis’ eyes blazed up at Harry as he stubbornly stayed silent. “Were you hiding from me?” Harry’s question again went unanswered. “Why were you hiding from me Lou?” Again he got nothing in response. “Do you want to know what I think?” He should really just stop asking Louis questions at this point. The boy obviously wasn’t going to talk. “I think you were hiding, but not because you were scared. No, you were definitely not scared. I’ll bet you were trying so hard not to laugh as I looked for you. I bet you even had to put your hand over your mouth to keep quiet. Did you have to do that, Lou?” The omega was biting his lip at this point, listening to Harry’s every word with his eyes still glowing. “You were hiding because you like the chase. You like the feel of me on your heels. You like letting the anticipation of being found building in your tummy. You like being dragged from your hiding place and being pinned down so you can’t get away.” Harry shifted his hips slightly to feel Louis getting hard underneath him. “Yeah, you like the chase.”

“You’re wrong,” Louis hissed as he tried to keep his body from reacting to Harry.

Harry arched one eyebrow at his mate. “Am I?” One big hand slid between them cupping Louis’ bulge. Louis’ eyes rolled to the back of his head at the touch. “I’m rarely wrong, Lou. You know that.” Harry squeezed his hand around his mate causing the boy beneath him to whimper.

“Well, you’re wrong this time.”

Harry commended his mate’s ability to remain focus, because Harry was quickly losing his own. Louis’ cheeks were flushed and his breaths were coming quicker now. His eyes were still blazing, but now mischief was replaced with burning lust. Harry wanted Louis to be just as unfocused as he was, so he squeezed him again. Louis’ breath came in a quick gasp. “Give in, love. I know you want to. Be a good boy. Enjoy what I’m giving you.”

Louis closed his eyes. Maybe if he couldn’t see Harry he’d be able to put up a fight for a little longer.

Harry dipped his head down so that his lips brushed Louis’ ear when he whispered, “C’mon, Lou.”

The sensations were overwhelming. Harry’s scent surrounded him. His hand applied glorious pressure to his hard cock. His breath was hot in his ear. His full body pinned him to the ground. Harry squeezed Louis again, harder than the times before, and Louis lost the last of his control as a whimper escaped his lips. Harry pressed a kiss to his mate’s temple with a smile on his mouth. Louis’ hips pressed up into Harry’s hand as much as they could with the alpha’s weight on top of him. “I think we should move this to the bed, pumpkin. What do you think?”

“Yeah,” Louis replied breathlessly, losing himself a little in all the sensations. Harry pushed himself up and off of Louis. The boy shivered as cool air rushed over him and he lost the delicious weight of his mate on top of him. Louis went to get to his own feet, but Harry had him swept off the floor and nestled against his chest before the omega could make a move. He hummed happily as Harry carried him to the bed and laid him gently on the quilt. He began to wiggle out of his clothes as Harry watched. Louis’ skin grew hot under the gaze and his fingers faltered with the button on his pants. Harry batted his hands away and divested Louis of the rest of his clothes. Harry pressed his cool lips against Louis’ warm skin. Louis sighed happily at the alpha’s touch. He ran a loving hand through Harry’s curls as his mate started to suck on a nipple. Louis arched into his, his eyes falling closed as a moan tore its way out of his throat. He could feel Harry’s lips curl up into a smirk at the sound. Harry moved his lips to the other nipple gaining the same reaction as before. He pulled away when he was satisfied to look at his mate. Louis’ hair was beginning to stick to his forehead as a sheen of sweat started to coat his skin. 

Feeling his mate’s stare, Louis opened his eyes and looked up at the alpha. Harry was sitting on his heels with eyes black with lust. “Alpha,” Louis whimpered, Harry’s intense stare getting to him. Louis squirmed under the scrutiny until Harry cupped his cheek and brushed his thumb over the red skin.

“So beautiful,” Harry sighed. Louis whined at that. Harry’s other hand slipped between his thighs, brushing Louis’ hard cock on his way to his slick entrance. Harry felt Louis’ wetness, nostrils flaring at how wet Louis already was. His touch was gone before Louis got a chance to fully appreciate it. His fingers came back shiny with Louis’ slick. Through glazed eyes, Louis watched Harry suck those fingers into his mouth tasting his boy. Louis wanted to taste his mate like Harry got to taste him. He scrambled onto his knees in front of Harry. His fingers fumbled with the fly of Harry’s pants, practically tearing them open so he could tug them as far down as Harry’s position would allow him. He was able to free Harry’s cock, a glorious sight that had him fighting with the desire to get Harry inside him with his desire to get his mate as naked as he was. The latter option won, so Louis turned his attention to Harry’s shirt. Harry was still sucking on his fingers, so Louis couldn’t properly get the shirt off and over the alpha’s head. The omega settled with pushing the shirt up as far as he could go and getting his mouth around Harry’s nipple. He sucked and bit at the tender flesh happily as Harry fully invaded his senses. 

Harry pulled his fingers out of his mouth as a moan left his lips when Louis bit down on his nipple. His shirt had fallen over Louis’ head so the sight of his mate sucking on his nipple was hidden from him. Harry quickly righted that wrong, ripping his shirt over his head and dropping it on the floor. Louis didn’t look up at his mate or seem to notice he was no longer tucked under Harry’s shirt as he moved to the other nipple doing to Harry what Harry had done to him. A growl rumbled in Harry’s chest as he got a proper look at his mate. Louis did look up at him when he growled. Harry’s mind spun dangerously as he looked into his mate’s somehow innocent eyes. He wrapped a strong arm around Louis’ waist so he could manhandle his mate onto his back while he laid over him. Through the movement, Louis didn’t detach from sucking on Harry. His lips moved just to the right of Harry’s nipple. He bit into the warm flesh and began sucking, only pulling away to look at the bright red mark he left behind. He looked up at Harry with an innocently pleased look that had Harry growling once again. 

The alpha pressed his lips hungrily to the omega’s, prying the boy’s lips open with his tongue. Louis happily welcomed him in, his arms wrapping around Harry’s shoulders to pull the alpha closer. Harry used his free hand to push his pants off so that he was as naked as Louis was. Louis mewled happily when he felt Harry’s bare arousal press against his leg. “Please, please, please,” he begged trying to rock his hips to feel Harry where he wanted him. 

“So pretty when you beg, Lou,” Harry said as his hand brushed along Louis’ temple and down his cheek. Louis caught Harry’s wrist in both of his hands dragging it along his own jaw and pressing Harry’s thumb into his mouth. His eyes slipped closed as a please moan wrapped around Harry’s thumb. It felt so good to have a part of Harry in him. With his eyes close, Louis missed how Harry’s eyes darkened, an almost animalistic look taking over his features. Harry pulled his arm from around Louis’ waist and used it to open his mate’s legs wide. Louis’ eyes opened once more as the tip of Harry’s cock pressed against his entrance. He tried to beg Harry with his eyes, reluctant to let go of Harry’s thumb. Harry drew one of Louis’ legs up to his hip as he pushed in. Louis’ eyes rolled back in his head as Harry filled him. His nails bit into Harry’s wrist. Harry panted buried deep in his mate. He drew his hips back slowly and pushed back in. Louis pulled Harry’s thumb from his mouth to let out a loud moan at the feeling. They’d done this so many times before, but each time they did, it was more intense, more overwhelming. Louis’ head thrashed against the pillow as Harry picked up the speed of his thrusts. He barely registered when Harry started talking. “You like this part the best,” Harry said, his voice raspy. “You like when I take you just the way you like. Fast and,” Harry pulled his hips back before slamming them back into his mate, “hard.” 

Louis’ body arched into Harry’s. He wasn’t sure if Harry was still talking, but it didn’t matter. He couldn’t hear him over the pounding of his own heart and the sound of Harry pounding into him again and again. “Harry, Harry, Harry,” Louis panted. Nothing in the world could ever make him feel like this, like his body was coming together and breaking into a million pieces at the same time. Harry took hold of both of Louis’ legs, holding his mate open and in one place. Louis wrapped his arms around Harry’s shoulders, desperate for something to hold onto. Harry’s lips seared his skin leaving red marks in their wake. Harry was right. He enjoyed this part the most, when Harry simply took him, thrust into him again and again until Louis knew nothing but the feel of Harry against him and the sound of his name on Harry’s lips. 

“Please, alpha,” Louis croaked when he felt Harry’s knot nudge his entrance. “Please, Harry. Want it so bad.” He tried to wriggle his hips onto Harry’s knot, but the alpha’s grip was unyielding. Louis was thrilled.

Harry grunted as he thrust one last time before his knot caught and tied them together. Louis screamed as his climax hit him hard. 

“That’s it, Lou. Such a good boy. Look at you,” Harry cooed. “So beautiful.” Louis turned his glassy eyes towards Harry’s voice. It was muted, like he had cotton in his ears. Harry pressed his lips gently to Louis’ before peppering the rest of his boys’ face with kisses. Louis’ arms were now slack around his shoulders. Harry let Louis’ legs fall to the mattress as he wrapped his arms around Louis’ waist so he could move them so he wasn’t crushing his mate. Harry leaned against the headboard with Louis curled up in his lap with his head on Harry’s shoulder. The alpha rubbed his omega’s back, continuing to murmur sweet nothings into the boy’s hair. 

Louis pressed soft kisses into Harry’s throat before murmuring, “Love you, Harry.”

Harry hugged him a little tighter. “Love you more, Louis.”

“Not possible,” Louis said with a shake of his head.

Harry chuckled, pressing a kiss to the crown of Louis’ head. “We’ll settle this in a little bit okay?”

Harry felt Louis’ lips curl into a smile. “Okay.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear MadameStylinsonoftheNoueh,
> 
> Thank you for being with me since the very, very beginning of Breaking the Silver Chain. Your support has meant the world to me. I'm glad that you've enjoyed the story and glad that you asked me for this. I think it turned out rather well. :) If you ever want me to write you something again, you know where to find me.
> 
> Your faithful writer,  
> Remi
> 
> To all my other fabulous readers:  
> I am going to be writing one more bonus chapter for BSC. Let me know what you want to see in the comments below. Can't wait to hear from you all!   
> XOXO


	27. Bonus Chapter: Liam and Zayn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally got this up! Thank you for telling me what you wanted. I hope you enjoy it!

It had been one of _those_ days. It was long, tiring, and full of people who seemed to have no idea what they were doing. He hated days like this. With a heavy sigh he finally pushed his chair away from his desk. His back popped when he stretched his arms over his head rising up on his tip toes. “Alright, Liam,” he said to himself. “Let’s get out of here.” Liam walked toward the door, reaching for it and then having to jump back as it swung open.

“Oh! Liam, I’m sorry!” Annie said when she realized she’d almost smacked her employer in the face. “I was just bringing you a cup of tea. It’s been a long day.”

Liam waved her apology away. “It’s alright, Annie. I thought you had already left for Mr. Higgins’.” The alpha took the cup of tea from his housekeeper even though he didn’t really want it.

“I was, but he’s doing inventory with Ollie and I knew that your day was getting a bit tedious. There’s dinner in the oven keeping warm. Zayn ate in the library. He spent the whole day in there.”

“Really?”

Annie nodded. “That’s the third day this week.” Liam smiled. It wasn’t like Zayn was avoiding the library, but he struggled to stay in there for more than a few hours. Lately he’d been able to spend more time in there, and, like Annie had said, he’d been able to stay in there all day today. He was finally starting to get comfortable again. “Oh, give me that. I know where you want to be right now,” Annie said taking the tea away from Liam. “The food won’t burn, so you can eat it whenever. Please eat something. I’m going to go see Paul and Ollie. Goodnight, Liam.”

“Goodnight, Annie. Don’t worry about me. I’ll eat something.”

Annie pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at the alpha. “I think you and I are talking about eating two very different things.”

Liam grinned. “Annie, I don’t know what you could possibly mean.”

Annie just rolled her eyes, throwing another goodnight over her shoulder on her way to the kitchen. Liam smiled as he watched her retreat. Once she was gone, he made his way to the library. He was as quiet as possible, not wanting to disturb Zayn. He saw his boy sitting on a chaise with his back to the door Liam was standing in. His bad ankle was elevated on a pile of pillows with some ice placed over it. Liam could tell he’d been running his hand through his hair as he read by the way strands stuck out in different directions. He must be getting to the good part of whatever book he was reading. Liam slowly came in, kneeling in front of the chaise. “Your ankle bothering you?” he asked softly.

Zayn’s eyes flicked over the top of his book. “Just a bit. I was on my feet a lot yesterday.” Zayn returned to his book while Liam smiled fondly at yesterday’s memories. Oliver had come over yesterday while Paul and Annie took a little day trip to the city. Zayn had happily played with him, which involved a lot of hide-and-seek and tag. Liam had figured Zayn would pay for it today. Liam lifted the ice off of Zayn’s ankle and pressed his lips to the cold skin. Zayn’s eyes looked up from his book. Liam pushed Zayn’s pant leg up so that he could kiss more skin. Zayn reached blindly for his bookmark tucking it between the pages of his book to hold his place. Liam had Zayn’s pant leg pushed up as far as it would go so he placed one more kiss against the skin and looked up at the omega. Zayn had put the book on top of an impressive stack of books next to the chaise. “Liam,” he breathed.

The alpha crawled onto the chaise hovering above his boy. Zayn lifted himself off the back of the chaise so that he could gently capture Liam’s lips in his. His fingers carefully brushed along the stubble that was growing along Liam’s jaw. “How was your day, Liam?” Zayn asked when he pulled his lips away and settled back against the chaise.

“It was long, angel. How was yours?” Liam smoothed some of Zayn’s hair back into place.

“It was good. I spent it in King Arthur’s court.”

Liam pressed another kiss to Zayn’s lips. “Again?”

“It’s my favorite. It’s the one we read on the train to Paris.”

Liam remembered that train ride. That had been the book Liam had started teaching Zayn to read with. It was the best train ride Liam had ever taken. “Paris was a good trip.” Liam murmured.

Zayn looked up at him with a small, secretive smile. “A very good trip.”

Liam kissed Zayn again, deep and slow. Zayn wrapped his arm around Liam’s shoulders to pull the alpha closer. Liam lowered his body so that it covered Zayn’s. He was aware of Zayn’s bad ankle, hooking it around the back of his knee so that he wouldn’t accidentally jostle it. Zayn mewled happily as Liam licked into his mouth. Zayn’s hands tangled into the Liam’s hair holding his alpha as close as he could. Liam shifted his hips as his body started reacting to the willing boy beneath him. Zayn rocked his hips to chase after the friction Liam provided. Liam couldn’t help the smile that slipped into the kiss. He remembered a time when Zayn wouldn’t have chased him like that. He would have spluttered and blushed and been absolutely adorable. Liam had loved that Zayn, but he loved this Zayn too. A Zayn that wasn’t scared to take a little something that he wanted in bed. Liam was brought out of his thoughts by a sharp sting that started in his bottom lip. Zayn had bitten his lip. Liam looked down at the boy with a mix of surprise and lust playing across his features. “Where did you go?” the omega asked quietly.

“I was just thinking about Paris,” Liam murmured.

Zayn smiled up at him. “We should go back.”

“We should make it a family trip,” Liam said.

Zayn froze beneath him. Liam was two seconds from taking it back, but then Zayn’s hips pulsed against his. “Really? You wanna make it a family trip?”

Liam could feel how hard Zayn suddenly was against him. He watched the omega’s face as he grinded against him. His eyes bore into Liam’s and his mouth was open in a small “o” as he panted. Zayn’s fingers dug into Liam’s shoulders when the alpha began to match his movements. “Yeah. I want a family trip to Paris. We could all climb the eiffel tower together. I’ll have to put one of them on my shoulders because their little legs will get tired.”

“Them?” Zayn gasped. His hips moved a little faster. “How many?”

“Four or five. I want a big family.”

“Oh, God, yes!” Zayn pulled Liam into a filthy kiss. “I want that too. I want...oh God.” Zayn’s eyes rolled into the back of his head as his body shuddered through his first orgasm of the night. Thoughts of little feet running around this place and his belly being full of Liam’s babies had pleasure coursing through him.

Liam pressed a hand over the front of Zayn’s now wet pants. Like him, the omega was still hard. “So pretty when you come, angel.” Liam’s hand moved from the front of Zayn’s pants to the back. He slipped his hand down Zayn’s pants, feeling the warm skin before slipping through the slick. “You’re so wet, Zayn. What do you want?”

Zayn tugged on Liam’s shirt to pull him closer. “You...and your baby. I want your baby, Liam. Please, please, please.”

“Shush, Zayn. I’ve got you,” Liam said as he tugged at Zayn’s pants. The boy helped him out by wiggling as best he could seeing as he was pinned between his alpha and the chaise. Pants off, Liam’s hands roamed the freshly exposed skin. Nothing would ever feel so good as Zayn naked beneath him. Zayn tugged at Liam’s shirt to get the alpha to take it off. “Eager are we,” Liam teased.

Zayn fixed him with a rather impressive glare for how wet and hard he was. “Don’t tease. Please, just do something.”

Liam managed to flip them without rolling off the chaise so that Zayn was straddling him. The omega scratched his nails down Liam’s chest as he rocked down on Liam’s hard cock. Liam practically tore Zayn’s shirt off of him so the boy was completely naked. In the dim light of the library lamps, Zayn looked like he was glowing like an actual angel. Liam cupped Zayn’s face in both of his hands and gently stroked the boy’s cheeks with his thumbs. “So beautiful.” Zayn’s eyes closed as Liam’s words washed over him. “Help me out of these,” Liam said rocking his still covered cock against Zayn’s ass. Zayn fiddled with the fly of Liam’s pants and tugged. He got the pants down as far as he could before trying to scramble into Liam’s lap. “No, no, wait,” Liam said. Zayn looked up at him incredulously. “I want to do this properly. In our bed.”

Zayn whined. “No, Liam. Now. This _is_ perfect.” He rocked against Liam’s hold on his hips. “Please, Liam. Please, Alpha.”

Liam growled, slipping a finger into Zayn’s wet heat. A blissful smile curled Zayn’s lips. It felt so good to have a part of Liam in him. He never thought he’d ever be able to do something like this without blushing. He’d convinced himself when he and Liam had first mated that he’d spend the rest of his life with red cheeks. He was sure that if he thought about the fact that he was rocking back on (now) two of Liam’s fingers on a chaise in the middle of their library his cheeks would be flaming.

“You’re blushing, angel,” Liam said softly.

“We’re in the library,” Zayn whispered like it was some big secret.

“We can move this upstairs if you want,” Liam suggested adding a third finger.

Zayn lost his ability to answer for a moment as Liam stretched him open. “No,” he finally managed to get out. “Right here is...oh...perfect…” Liam pulled his fingers away and replaced them with his cock. Zayn slid down on Liam with a satisfied sigh. His nails dug into Liam’s shoulders as the fullness washed over him. He rolled his hips to feel how Liam fit inside of him perfectly. “So good,” Zayn breathed. Zayn raised himself up and dropped down. He repeated the motion again and again, picking up the pace with every drop. Liam watched the boy ride him with awe. It’d taken quite a bit of coaxing to get him to be vocal, and only in the haze of heat when Liam was exhausted had Zayn ridden him like he was now. “Li, need your help, please,” Zayn begged tugging at his own hair.

“Alright, Zayn, I’m here. I’ve got you.” Liam held Zayn’s hips, stilling the boy when he was fully seated in his lap. Liam lifted Zayn up a bit before thrusting up into him. Zayn cried out as Liam slammed into his prostate over and over again. Zayn was hot and wet around him, a constant heat that had Liam’s breath catching in his throat and his knot swelling. “Yes, yes, yes,” Zayn chanted, mixing in _Please, please, please_ to keep the balance. When Liam brought Zayn down again, Zayn rolled his hips to try and get Liam’s knot. Liam didn’t let him settle, which caused his boy to whimper and pull an intense pair of puppy eyes. “You want it?” Liam asked.

Zayn nodded, swiveling his hips as Liam brought him down once more. This time Liam’s knot caught and swelled inside the omega. Zayn shouted as his second orgasm tore through him. Liam’s eyes squeezed shut and he threw his head back as his climax took over him. Zayn slumped over, resting his head on Liam’s shoulder. He smiled and hummed happily as Liam filled him to the brim. As the initial waves of pleasure pulled away from him, Liam began to rub slow circles on Zayn’s back. “If it’s a girl, what do you want to name her?” Liam asked.

“Penny,” Zayn murmured. “Or Rose...what do you think about Katie?”

“I like Katie...Penny too.” Liam let them rest in silence for a few moments before asking, “If it’s a boy?”

Zayn groaned. “LJ, like Liam Junior.”

The alpha snorted. “That is not going to be our son’s name.”

“No?” Zayn asked.

“No. Would you want to have a son named Zayn Junior?”

“I guess not,” Zayn said with a slow roll of his hips. Zayn took one of Liam’s hands and brought it to his hardening cock. “Can’t wait until I start showing,” he said quietly.

Liam picked up on the hint. “Neither can I. Won’t be able to keep my hands off of you. You’ll be positively glowing. Can’t wait to rub my hands over your belly. You’ll be all full of my baby.” Zayn rolled his hips fucking into Liam’s hand. Liam’s free hand pressed into Zayn’s still flat stomach. Liam pressed down and Zayn came into Liam’s hand. Liam pulled him into a lazy kiss with his hand still on his stomach. “I want a girl first,” Liam mumbled against Zayn’s lips.

“Me too. She’ll love Paris,” Zayn said.

“Not as much as I love you,” Liam said with a teasing smile.

Zayn wrinkled his nose. “That was lame, darling.”

Liam came back with, “You love it.”

“No,” Zayn negated with a shake of his head. “I love you.”

Liam pressed another kiss to Zayn’s lips. “Now who’s the lame one?”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is THE END of Breaking the Silver Chain. Many thanks to all y'all. All the kudos and comments have meant the world to me. I'll be posting some one shots in Addicted to Ziam 100% if you're interested. I love you all and keep being the awesome people that you are.
> 
> XOXO  
> ~Remi

**Author's Note:**

> So...what'd ya think?


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